Maternal Heart
by Boyue
Summary: Pip wants to bear Damien's seed but the anti-Christ isn't too thrilled about it. A baby can make or break a couple. How will Damien and Pip hold up through the unholy pregnancy? -Mpreg/Dip-
1. How It All Began

_South Park and its characters © Trey Parker and Matt Stone_

_Mean!Damien x Girly!Pip_

_Rated T for South Park language and adult content._

_Boyue's Disclaimer: Okay, first of all, I am not a fan of mpreg… So why am I writing this story? It's an idea that came to me and I thought it would be interesting to explore the plot of Pip being pregnant with Damien's manlove child. If Satan can impregnate a porcupine (granted, it was Cartman's imagination), why can't Damien plant his demonic seeds in Pip's belly? Consider this my warning. If you don't want to read about male pregnancy, then this fiction isn't for you… o.o;;_

* * *

**MATERNAL HEART**

**How It All Began…**

**When They Were Eight…**

* * *

"**PROPER CONDOM USE"**

"Hello, Phillip. Come on in and take a seat, m'kay."

Phillip "Pip" Pirrup gave a nod and closed the heavy door behind him. He nervously took the seat in front of the desk and sat up straight, his hands resting face-down on his laps. He took a shy glance at his guidance counselor before he pulled his chin down and stared at the back of his hands. He fidgeted a bit in the hard chair, shifting his weight between his buttocks. The chair itself was uncomfortable and the tense atmosphere in the office wasn't helping much. The air was stuffy and smelled like marijuana smoke. Pip gave a quick look at the diplomas hung high on the wall, the names of the books in the bookcase, and oddly enough a framed picture of Mr. Mackey. Pip felt like he shouldn't be here; a goody-two-shoe like himself didn't usually end up in Mr. Mackey's office. But he had come here on his own will.

Mr. Mackey placed his hands on the desk with his fingers interlaced. He looked down at Pip with his usual expressionless face. "You wanted to see me about something, m'kay?"

"Oh, yes, Sir. I was wondering…" Pip paused and bit softly on his lower lip.

"It's alright, Phillip. You can ask me anything, m'kay."

"Mr. Mackey, Sir, I was wondering… how do you know if you're pregnant?" Pip looked up and caught the odd look on Mr. Mackey's face.

"Well, that's a very good question, 'mkay. But you don't have to worry about being pregnant since you're a boy."

"Oh… Why is that?"

"Because boys can't get pregnant, m'kay. Only girls get pregnant."

"Why is it that only girls can get pregnant?"

"You see, Phillip, girls have an organ called the uterus and with a uterus, they are able to bear children, m'kay."

"Ah, I understand," Pip said. He took a moment to take in all the new information before he asked timidly, "How do I get a _u-tar-us_?"

"You can't get a uterus. You have to be born with it, m'kay."

Pip sunk low into his chair. He clutched his shorts and let out a sad sigh. He looked up at Mr. Mackey with a deep frown and asked, "Does it mean that I will never be able to have babies?"

"No, no, m'kay, you'll be able to make babies with a girl."

"Is that so… But I won't be the one giving birth, will I?"

"I'm afraid not, Phillip, m'kay. Now, why do you ask?"

"There is… Oh, it's quite embarrassing actually…"

Mr. Mackey leaned forward on the desk and said, "It's alright. You are in a safe zone, m'kay. You can tell me anything."

"You see, Sir," Pip said quietly with a faint blush, "there is this boy that I adore and I was hoping that I'd be able to have his baby in the future. But I see now that is hopeless… since we are both boys and neither of us have a _u-tar-us_."

"Well, you can consider adopting, m'kay. Maybe a baby from China or Mexico, m'kay."

"True…" Pip nodded but still a sigh escaped from his throat. "But it won't be _our_ baby…"

"Now, Phillip, you are too young to be thinking about having babies and having sexual relations, m'kay. I want you to focus on school and push those thoughts to the back of your head, m'kay?"

"Right-o… Thank you, Sir. I'm awful sorry to have bothered you."

Pip scooted out of the hard chair and gave an appreciative nod. Mr. Mackey bid him good-bye and Pip left the counselor's office. He strolled out of the school ground, grieving audibly at his inability to bear children.

* * *

"**MR. GARRISON'S FANCY NEW VAGINA"**

"Mrs. Garrison, may I have a moment of your time?" Pip asked, keeping a courteous smile on his boyish face.

"What is it, Pip?" his teacher responded annoyingly. She leaned back on the chair and crossed her legs. Purposely, she flashed her panties-less crotch at Pip. Pip winced and decided to keep his eyes on the floor for the rest of the conversation. Mrs. Garrison grumbled impatiently, "Spit it out. I don't got all day."

"I was wondering now that you are a woman, are you able to have babies?"

"What?" Mrs. Garrison perked up angrily. "I am a real woman now. I can have all the babies I want. God, stop asking stupid questions."

"Oh is that so?" Pip beamed an excited grin. "So if I were to become a woman, I can have babies as well?"

"What you want a baby for?" Mrs. Garrison rolled her eyes behind her square glasses. "A baby is just an ungrateful tumor inside your stomach that makes you fat and ugly."

"Certainly that is not true," Pip mumbled. Having a baby was Pip's biggest dream… right after winning the heart of (what he believed to be) his true love. "How should I go about becoming a woman?"

"It's easy. You just have to get a sex change operation," Mrs. Garrison answered casually like she was discussing the weather. "They cut off your ding-dong and make you a snatch." She moved to adjust her bra, supporting two unevenly shaped breast implants. "Then they give you some knockers and you're set."

"Oh jolly!" Pip exclaimed happily. He thought about it for a moment and asked innocently, "Um, Mrs. Garrison, can I have a baby without having my wiener cut off?"

"God, no, dumbass. You need a vagina to poop your ugly bastard child out," Mrs. Garrison said, rolling her eyes condescendingly.

"I see…" Pip said, nodding his head. "Will they be able to reattach my wiener afterward?"

"Yeah, I mean, sure they can… but it probably won't work anymore." Mrs. Garrison shrugged. Pip looked at her horrified and hoped that she was only joking. The seriousness on her manly face told Pip otherwise.

"Oh dear! I don't think I can live without my wiener…"

"Suck it up."

"I… Oh… dear… I… Thank you, Mrs. Garrison. I am sorry to have been a bother."

"Yeah, yeah, now get out of here. I need my beauty nap," Mrs. Garrison said, putting her hairy legs on the desk and reclining backward against the chalkboard.

Pip tried not to look at the unshaven legs. He hurried out of the classroom and headed for the playground to join everyone else for recess. Recess wasn't his favorite time of day; no one ever wanted to play with him. Sometime, Cartman would come over and play _with_ him. Most of the time, Pip hid behind the jungle gym and watched the other children play.

* * *

"**FOLLOW THAT EGG"**

"Stan, you are paired with Bebe," Mrs. Garrison said, making the correct arrangement on the board. "And Kyle, you are with Wendy."

Stan Marsh gasped loudly and glared at the back of his teacher. He turned his head and watched helplessly as his best friend moved his desk next to Wendy Testaburger's. Kyle and Wendy exchanged a friendly smile and Stan's face twisted angrily. Pip usually sat in the back of the class to avoid getting hit by spitballs. He glanced past the moving heads in front of him and searched for his name on the board. It was almost his turn and his heart was beating faster with each passing second.

"Kenny and Powder…" Mrs. Garrison moved the names next to each other. He picked up Pip's name and Pip leaned forward on his desk, eagerly waiting for his partner's name. Mrs. Garrison took a step back and checked the remaining names. He placed Pip's name down next to a red name magnet and Pip's heart sunk before she even announced, "Pip, you are going to be with Angela."

"Oh… Jolly," Pip muttered under his breath. He leaned back against his chair and glanced toward the person he wanted to be partnered with. Damien was glaring at his desk, as if he was trying to burn a hole through the wood surface. Pip let out a sigh, a bit dreamy and a bit sad.

"Damien, you are with Helen. Alright now, you can have the rest of the class to decorate your egg. Remember," Mrs. Garrison said, turning to face the fourth graders grimly, "if you break your egg, you have a dead baby. If you have a dead baby, you get an F. Get moving!"

Pip scooted his desk near Angela and forced a smile on his face. Angela rolled her eyes at him and turned her back on him. She uncapped the green marker and gave the baby-egg green eyes. Pip wasn't surprised at Angela's behavior; no one really liked him in the class. Still, it was a partner-project and Pip couldn't just sit and not do anything. He picked up the scissors and started to cut out a navy blue hat for the egg to wear. He glanced up from his construction paper and looked over Angela's head to see what Damien was doing with his egg. Helen seemed to be the one doing all the work while Damien stared at the desk with boredom. Pip kept his eyes on Damien for a second too long and the scissors blade slit open his skin. He let out a high yelp that drew the class's attention to him.

"Ha! Pussy," Cartman teased. He puckered his lips and cooed, "Do you want mommy to kiss your boo-boo?" He grinned but turned his attention back to his egg, leaving Pip to deal with his fresh wound.

The cut wasn't deep but a little bit of blood was oozing out. It also itched and Pip had to resist the urge to scratch it. He wiped his finger on his shorts to dry the blood. He picked up the scissors again and gave his full attention on tailoring a hat for his egg. A soft smile crept up his face. Sure, it was only an egg, but it was his 'baby'. And he just knew he was going to be such a great father if he had the chance to prove himself.

"Um, Angela?" Pip called shyly, tapping his partner on the shoulder.

"What?" Angela didn't bother to turn around. She reached for the ball of red yarn.

"I made a little hat for our egg. Would you like to glue it on now?"

Angela turned her head and gave the paper hat a quick look. "That's a stupid hat," she said, and turned her back on Pip once again.

"Terribly sorry," Pip said dejectedly. "I will make a new one then."

Pip put the hat to the side since he didn't think it was a stupid hat. He picked up the dark green construction paper and cut out a new hat. The rest of the class chattered amongst themselves. He heard Powder scolding Kenny for wanting to draw a penis on the egg. Token mentioned that his brown egg should have thick, curly hair. Heidi was glad that the egg wasn't as fat as Cartman. Kyle and Wendy discussed who would take care of the egg when. Stan fumed while Bebe decorated the egg. All was well until suddenly someone screamed.

"Ahhh! What the hell!?" Helen shrieked. "Mrs. Garrison! Mrs. Garrison!"

Pip, along with the class, turned toward Helen's direction. Mrs. Garrison reluctantly got out of her chair and walked over to the back corner.

"What is it, Helen, you stupid bitch?" Mrs. Garrison asked half-heartedly.

"D-Damien killed our egg!" Helen shouted, pointing an accusing finger at her partner. "He killed it!"

Pip stood from his seat just in time to see Damien cracking open the shell of the now-hardboiled egg and taking a big bite out of it. Damien winced, disgusted, and spat out the half-chewed egg white on his desk. Mrs. Garrison scoffed, muttering a few cuss words under her breath, and walked back to her desk. Damien left the mutilated baby-egg on the desk while Helen looked about to cry. Pip wasn't sure if he should laugh at Damien's prank or be worried that the dark-haired boy wouldn't be a good father. He couldn't have Damien eating their babies!

"Here's another egg," Mrs. Garrison said from her desk, holding the egg in her hand. Helen got out of her seat and stumbled toward the teacher's desk. Instead of handing the egg to Helen, Mrs. Garrison shouted, "Catch!"

Damien must have been dozing off. The egg hit him right between his eyes. The shell cracked and the white and yellow content slimed down his nose to his mouth. Pip gasped, preparing himself for Damien's vengeance. Damien, however, seemed rather amused by it. He stuck out his tongue and licked at the tip of his nose, tasting the yolk. He circled his tongue around his mouth and smacked his lips. Pip felt he could swoon at the scene before him.

"You killed my egg," Helen whined to Mrs. Garrison.

"Okay, okay, stop your bitching." Mrs. Garrison picked out a brand-new egg and signed the bottom. She handed it over and Helen took it protectively. Mrs. Garrison looked to Damien and warned, "If you kill your baby again, I'm giving you an F."

Damien ignored the teacher's warning. He lifted up his black shirt and wiped his face with it, leaving a big white stain on his shirt. Pip walked out of his seat and took the seat vacated by Helen. Helen gave him a frown but gladly put down the new egg and took Pip's seat instead. She complained Damien's behavior loudly to Angela, who nodded her head in vicious agreement. Pip picked up the new egg and sighed contently. He turned to Damien and beamed a smile.

"What do you think our baby will look like, Damien?"

"Shut up," Damien said, his voice an octave higher than Pip's. "You aren't worthy to have a baby with me!"

Pip was rather disappointed at Damien's response, but he figured the demonic boy was only being shy. He scooted his chair a little closer. Damien eyed him and sounded a grunt when Pip got a little too close for comfort. To Pip's surprise, Damien didn't summon demons to eat him. He only shifted his chair so he was facing Pip instead of the front of the class.

"Let's get this troublesome project over with," Damien squeaked. Though Pip knew he was trying to sound authoritative, he couldn't help but giggled quietly at Damien's voice. It was beyond adorable. Damien grunted and shouted, "Stop laughing or I will give you something to laugh about!"

"Right-o!" Pip grinned. He hadn't been so happy in a long while. "We should give our baby a name. What should we name it?"

"We shall name him Lucifer after my father! God's greatest rival! All shall fear him!"

"Lucifer it is then," Pip said. He picked up the black marker and drew the egg's eyes.

"He should have red eyes," Damien said, a little less dramatic.

"Ah, sure." Pip put down the black marker and used the red one. "What about his hair?"

"Black!" Damien shouted excitedly.

Pip complied and cut out a bit of yarn to make a wig for the egg. He looked at the naked egg, admiring at the work he had done. He turned to Damien with a happy grin.

"Our baby is so beautiful," Pip said dreamily.

"He shall be the most beautiful and powerful egg of them all!" Damien exclaimed, picking up his dramatic tone again.

Pip brushed his shoulder against Damien's. He half-expected Damien to recoil but Damien seemed too focused on the egg to notice anything. Pip had never seen him so excited before. He handed the egg over so Damien could hold it while he worked on making an outfit for the egg. He cut out a little coat and dressed the egg…

No… He dressed his baby. His baby with Damien. He looked over at Damien and swore he saw a little smile on Damien's pale face. The project might turned out to be quite fun after all…

"Pip! What are you doing?" Mrs. Garrison barked. "You're partnered with Angela."

"Oh, but I am having more fun with Damien," Pip reasoned.

"Yeah, and I like partnering with Helen," Angela said.

"I don't care. This is no homo-partnership here. Pip, get back to Angela, and Helen, go back to Damien."

"But, Mrs. Garrison…!" Pip whined.

"Now or I'll fail all four of you!"

Angela grumbled under her breath while Helen and Pip returned to their assigned seatsAngela wrapped a tissue around the egg to protect it. Pip eyed Damien and their baby-egg from a distance. He missed his baby already.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**

* * *

**

_Boyue's Note: This is just the boring prologue of Pip's obsession with having a baby with Damien. The following chapters will be of them older and go through Pip's pregnancy. Hopefully you will stay tuned! =D_

_2.04.09_

_2:45 AM_


	2. Ready, Set, Go

_Boyue's Note: Okay, this chapter jumps right into the future where Damien and Pip are together. I was going to go through the episodes to fill them in but I decided that process warranted its own story! In the future, I'm going to basically tell South Park episodes from Damien and Pip's point of view – it's going to be so exciting… unless someone has done it already.. then bleh. Anyways, enjoy the Damien and Pip love. Thanks for reading, reviewing, and fav-ing. =)_

_Damien's Point of View. xDD_

_

* * *

_

**MATERNAL HEART**

"**Ready, Set, Go"**

* * *

"Damien, Damien," Pip coos, hopping over to the couch where Damien resides.

The anti-Christ keeps his eyes glued to the small PSP screen. He is working on level 59 of _Heaven vs. Hell_ _5_ and will literally kill anyone who tries to pry him away from his obsession. But since the distraction comes from his lover, however annoying the British mate can be at times, Damien resists the urge to make firecrackers out of him. It does not mean that he is happy at how Pip loops his arms around his waist and puts his head on his shoulder. He most certainly doesn't appreciate Pip nuzzling against his neck. It is ticklish and being tickled diverts his attention from the game.

"Didn't you play this game before?" Pip asks, peeping at the screen. He puts his chin on Damien's shoulder and breathes on his neck.

"No, that was HvH 4. This is 5. It's different, Pip," Damien growls. He leans away from the blonde, turning his body sideway. He explains, "There is plasma gun in this one and I am in it."

"Are you now?"

"It's not me-me… but they got this anti-Christ character and he is pretty sick. He has claws and a whip."

"Oh, jolly! That sounds awfully like you alright," Pip teases. He playfully pokes Damien's cheek with a boyish smile.

"Fuck off," Damien growls, jerking his head to the side. He threatens, "If I die, I'm shoving a fucking umbrella up your ass."

"Oh my!" Pip gasps, throwing a hand over his pouty mouth. Though he is aware of the consequences, he puts his chin back on Damien's board shoulder and yawns. "I am sleepy…"

Damien jerks violently to the right, which causes Pip to slip and lands on his thigh. He grits his teeth and shouts angrily, "Ah, shit! Shit!"

"Oh no, are you losing?" Pip asks as he leans over to see the game.

Damien clutches the gaming device tight. His eyes start to glow in red as he desperately tries to slaughter the hordes of demons coming his way. It is probably treacherous to play on Heaven's side but the angels have better-looking armors and the more powerful plasma guns. Why do angels need guns to fight against demon? Damien doesn't have a clue. He shakes the PSP violently when his angel is tackled down and buttraped by a gang of demons. He shouts loudly, "No! Shit! Shit! Fuck, I died! I was so fucking close! Fuck!"

Pip dodges out of the way to avoid getting by the PSP flying across the living room of the one-bedroom apartment. The PSP slams into the wall, leaving a small scratch, before it lands on the carpet with a muffled thud. Damien huffs like a mad man. He rubs his hand over his face and glares at Pip, silently blaming the blonde for ruining his game. Pip responds by smiling sweetly and giving Damien a tight squeeze around the waist.

"What is it? What do you want?" Damien growls impatiently.

"You know, Damien, tomorrow is our fifth anniversary! I thought we should do something special to celebrate."

Has it been five years only? Damien feels like he has spent a century with Pip constantly bugging him. Pip has worse abandonment issue than his father – and Satan is infamous for his fear of abandonment (it's the damned reason he is still with Saddam)! Pip's problem, Damien knows, stemmed from being orphaned at a young age, but dammit, does he have to be so clingy? Sometimes when Pip puts his arms around him, Damien feels like he is being leashed. Still, he loves the lanky blonde more than anyone or anything in the world. Every couple has its problems; Damien and Pip manage to coexist quite happily... even if Damien wants to choke the life out of Pip every once in a while.

"What you have in mind?" Damien asks, putting his arm around Pip's small frame.

"I was planning to cook your favorite food for you." Chicken liver and beans with rice. "And after dinner, we can share a nice, warm bath together and afterward…" Pip giggles, stroking Damien's chin coyly, "we can be intimate later into the evening."

"Sure… That sounds good…" Even if it's a little boring and typical of Pip.

"And since it is our anniversary and our fifth one at that, I have a special present to give you," Pip says with a mischievous grin. Damien grins back; he likes it a lot when Pip gets naughty. "And perhaps, you have a special present for me as well?"

Well… No. Damien is more of a taker than a giver. For the past four years, Pip is the one who prepared thoughtful gifts while Damien threw together whatever he could find last minute. Last year, Pip gave him a necklace with a charm that says, "D & P". Damien gave him in return a DVD documentary about the mating habits of dragonflies. Pip pretended to like it but Damien knew he screwed up bad; the DVD is probably sitting somewhere in a dark corner. It's not his fault he can't remember dates. Speaking of dates… when is Pip's birthday again? Damien is pretty sure it's somewhere in July or December; it has to be one of those months. Or maybe it's February…

"What are you getting me?" Damien asks, trying to feel out what he should get in return.

"Oh, no, no," Pip giggles, "if I tell you, it won't be a surprise, silly goose!"

"Okay," Damien sighs. He scratches the back of his neck and sighs again. He should just come out with it. "What do you want me to get you?"

"If I tell you, it won't be a surprise to me!" Pip frowns, pouting his soft lips. He returns to a normal expression and says quietly, "Though there is one thing I dearly want…"

"No, Pip. Not that again," the anti-Christ grumbles under his breath.

"But Damien, that _is_ what I want the most," Pip whines, tugging at Damien's sleeve. "I have wanted to have your child since I was eight!"

"And I keep telling you 'no'. We are not having a baby, and that's it."

"I don't understand why not. We will be such good parents. Oh, I just know it, Damien."

Damien rolls his eyes. He pulls his arm away from Pip's shoulder and presses his elbows into his knees. Pip pouts like a spoiled brat, crossing his arms over his chest and huffing in faux anger. Damien pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head in frustration. What can he say to get Pip to understand? They have been through it plenty of times but Pip is still obsessed with getting pregnant.

"Dammit, Pip… We've gone over this," Damien says through gritted teeth, "we can't have a baby. You are a dude!"

"I know there is something you can do about that. Some sort of demonic ritual that you can perform to impregnate me. I read about them in the books."

Damien suppresses the urge to ask 'what books?'. He scoots over to Pip and puts both hands on the Brit's shoulders. As softly as he can, he says, "If you really want a baby that bad, we can pick one up from China. They got tons of babies. If no one adopts them, the Chinese people cook and eat their brains." That's actually not true, but it helps with the empathy score.

"You just don't understand, Damien! I want _our_ baby. I want a baby made from my and your seeds," Pip grouches, deepening his pout. "I don't care for some Chinese babies."

"God really fucked up on you, didn't he?" Damien mumbles. He sighs and pulls Pip into his arms. He runs his long fingers through Pip's silky hair and says, "Let's be logical for a moment here. A baby is a lot of work. We are both in school. Only I have a job. We have rents and bills to pay. We just can't afford to raise a baby. Besides, we aren't married. I don't want my kid to be a bastard."

Damien regrets what he said as soon as the words came out of his mouth. Pip's eyes lights up and a happy smile knocks his pout away. Damien smiles back weakly, mentally screaming at himself for giving Pip false hope.

"You… want to get married some day?" Pip asks hopefully. He smiles excitedly. "Oh, Damien! Oh! That makes me so happy!"

"H-hang on a second. We can't get married," Damien says, "they got laws against that."

"We can in Massachusetts and Canada! Alaska passed the law recently as well. They had to find a way to get people to go there, you know, ever since what Sarah Palin did to those poor, poor wolves."

Damien snickers knowing that she is in a much colder place than Alaska right now. He puts back on a serious face and looks down at Pip. Great, now Pip thinks they are getting married _and_ having a baby.

"I'm sorry, Pip. I can't have a baby with you." There is still a hint of hope in Pip's eyes and Damien knows he has to crush it. He adds, "Ever."

Pip makes a face that Damien can't tell if he is angry or sad. The blonde bolts up from the couch and stomps his way to the bedroom. The door slams hard, shaking the walls of the apartment. The walls aren't that thick and Damien can hear Pip's sobbing. He wonders if he can ask God to switch Pip's gender but God will probably just give him a grand lecture about how things are the way they are for a reason and that he shouldn't question them but learns to accept them instead. Ugh, what an annoying hippo-thingy God is!

Damien gets off the couch. He should go comfort his lover but he is so horrible at comforting people. He walks over to the PSP on the floor and checks to see if it's broken. The screen is cracked but it still works. He pockets the system into the back pocket of his dark jeans. There is only one place he Damien likes to go when he is upset about something. He grabs his keys from the kitchen counter and leaves the apartment with a leather jacket. He tucks his hands into the pockets and walks his way to the other side of the train track, which isn't very far from the apartments.

South Park is still a frozen landscape. Damien stares at the dark snow and makes sure not to step in any dog poo or yellow stains. He has been coming and leaving the town for the past nine years at irregular intervals. Whenever his father doesn't need him in Hell, he spends his days on Earth, trying to have a normal childhood. He has become quite accustomed to living as a human. After all, it's the sole reason why he bothers to take the keys and a jacket with him; it's not like he needs them to function properly.

Damien walks around Kenny McCormick's house and heads into the backyard. Kenny has moved out of his parents' house when he was fifteen and moved into the trailer in the yard. It's still on the same property but his parents can care less if he lives or die in the trailer. Since Kenny actually lives in a trailer, Cartman has been relentlessly in calling him 'trailer trash'. Damien likes to think otherwise. Besides Pip, Kenny is probably the only person in South Park that he can remotely tolerate. Kenny is a lot wiser than his appearance leads to believe.

"Kenny, it's me," Damien calls as he knocks on the trailer door.

He hears ruffling inside the metal vehicle. Kenny opens the door with his hood down and his hair a mess as usual. Asides from his parka, Kenny is only wearing his boxers with a hole on the left trunk. "Hey, dude," Kenny greets cheerfully. "Nice of you to visit. Wanna come in?"

Kenny moves out of the way and lets Damien into the trailer. Contrary to popular belief, Kenny keeps his mobile home relatively clean. There are no empty pizza boxes or soda cans all over the place. In the cramped space, Kenny has managed to make a cozy place to live. Damien settles down at the small dinner table. The plastic on the seat farts when it makes contact with Damien's bum. Kenny grabs the only other chair in the trailer and sits in it backward. He tosses a warm can of beer at Damien and pops open one for himself. Damien used to drink a lot but Pip has banned him from drinking. It doesn't mean that Damien has quitted drinking though even if he is technically underage. But everything goes in South Park.

"What's up?" Kenny asks after he takes a sip of the cheap water-down beer. "Trouble in paradise?"

"Pip is talking about the baby again," Damien groans. He nurses his beer and winces in disgust. Next time, he is coming with the good stuff. "He can't let it go."

"Ouch. What'd you say?"

"The same thing I tell him every time."

"I feel you, dude," Kenny says with a loud burp. "But this obviously means a lot to Pip."

Damien looks up from the cheap table with a frown. He must have misheard the dirty blonde. Kenny gazes at him with a thoughtful look, shaking his can of beer around. Damien looks away with an amused chuckle. He laughs jolylessly, "I can't believe you right now…"

"You love him."

"Doesn't mean I want a fucking kid with him."

"You're scared," Kenny scoffs. "You don't think you will be a good dad 'cause you're the anti-Christ and shit."

Damien hates how good Kenny is at reading mind. So sure, he is a little scared about being a dad. He was born and raised under very horrid circumstances. His demon nannies weren't very nice creature. Plus, he has one hell of an anger problem. He also hates kids without end. He hated being a kid! How is he supposed to have a child of his own? He can't forgive himself if he hurts his baby and Damien can actually see himself hurting the child. He lacks self-control and a baby will challenge his every nerve.

"But you got Pip with you," Kenny continues, "and if there is one thing I know about Pip is that he is going to be an awesome mom. Remember that field trip we went to in sixth grade and we all got food poisoning at the park, who was the one that single-handedly took care of all twenty of us?"

"Pip," Damien answers.

"He wiped Cartman's ass with a smile on his face."

"Ugh, don't remind me of that," Damien groans, trying to block out the bad memory.

"I'm just saying Pip's got it handled, dude." Kenny takes a long gulp of the beer and crushes the can. He tosses it in the open trashcan. He turns to Damien and says, "Look, he wants a baby with you because you are the world to him. And I think you should suck it up and for once, give him what he wants."

"We're talking about a baby, Kenny, not a car."

"Don't even bother. I can see right through you. I know you wanna do it. Pip's the world to you too."

Damien chugs his beer and crushes the can. He throws at a random direction and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. Kenny smiles in that profound way that he rarely shows. He gets up and walks up to the fridge, scratching his butt as he does. He takes out a Tupperware of cold spaghetti and brings it back to the table with a fork.

"Now, I'm going to eat my dinner," Kenny says, taking off the top, "and you should run home and knock Pip up already."

"I don't know if I can," Damien says quietly, lowering his eyes. "What if… I fuck up and screw up his life?"

"He will still be your son and as long as you love him, that's all that matters."

Kenny drills his fork into the cold spaghetti and eats it noisily. Damien stays seated, thinking over what Kenny said. He would give Pip the world if he asks for it. Why couldn't he just ask for the world instead of a baby? Damien leans back against the chair and watches Kenny noisily eat his cold meal.

"I'll take you to dinner sometime," Damien offers. "Get you real food."

"I'll be there and I'm going to order the most expensive food off the menu," Kenny says with a mouth full of tomato sauce.

"Hurry up and eat. I want to play co-op on HvH."

"Cartman got my PSP," Kenny says, rolling his blue eyes. Damien notices that Kenny's eyes are a shade lighter than Pip's.

"What the fuck? How did that happen?"

"The fatass stole it from me."

"Well, let's go steal it back."

Kenny laughs, nodding his head in agreement. He shoves the rest of the spaghetti into his mouth and dumps the Tupperware into the sink. He wipes his mouth with an old piece of paper towel.

"What are you still doing here, dude?" Kenny asks, putting a hand on Damien's shoulder. "Go home to Pip."

Damien gets up from the table and walks out of the trailer. He tucks his hands in jacket and heads back to the apartment. It is a starless and moonless night – the worst kind of night. When he reaches home, he lingers by the door and can't get himself to go inside. Pip used a lot of time to convince Damien to move in together since they both used to live alone. It would cheaper to share a place, Pip said. They were just friends when they first moved in. Now, they are lovers and Damien can't imagine life without Pip skipping around the living room in his blue shorts. In the split of a moment, he sees a little boy running around the apartment in diapers and Pip chasing after him. Damien looks up at the sky and groans.

"If that's your way of giving me a sign, you are a fucking prick," he says to God.

With a deep breath, he puts the key into the hole and opens the door. The living room and the kitchen lights are still on. Pip probably hasn't left the bedroom since the argument. Damien kicks off his shoes and delays time by putting them into the shoe cabinet. Usually, he leaves them lying around until Pip picks them up. He tosses the keys on the table and turns off the lights. He makes his way to the bedroom and stays outside the door. A dim light filters through the gap, which means Pip is still awake. Damien pulls down on the handle and walks inside.

Pip looks up from the bed. His eyes are red from crying. Crumbled balls of tissue litter the bed and the floor. He presses his lips close and pulls the cover higher. Damien closes the door behind him and strolls over to Pip's side. Pip sniffles and throws the tissue in his hand on the nightstand.

"What is it?" Pip says hoarsely.

"You still want a baby?" Damien asks.

"Y… Yes…"

"Alright," Damien sighs. He closes his eyes for a moment, contemplating if it's the right thing to do. He opens them and when he meets Pip's ocean blue ones, he knows in his heart it's the right thing. "Alright, Pip… Let's make a baby."

Pip stares at him dumbfound for a few seconds. His mouth gapes and he blinks a few times before he bolts up and throws himself at Damien. He wraps his arms tight around Damien's neck and lets out a cry of surprise.

"I love you so much, Damien. I love you. I love you. I love you!"

"Yeah… Love you too…"

Pip pulls away and cups Damien's face. He smiles widely and presses their lips together. Damien likes how Pip's lips always taste like watermelon. It makes kissing Pip more enjoyable. He puts a hand on Pip's lower back and the other on the back of the head. He deepens the kiss and pries open Pip's little mouth. His pierced tongue slips in and gets comfortable. Pip sucks on the metal stud and grins as he pulls away.

"We are going to make a baby," Pip coos.

Damien only nods and helps Pip into bed.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**

* * *

**

_Boyue's Note: Chinese people don't eat baby brains… anymore. O.o;; JUST KIDDING! xDD_

_Reviews yessss?_

_2.06.09_

_2:30 AM_


	3. The Conception

_Boyue's Note: I miss Chef. D=_

_Rated M: This chapter contains the baby-making scene. You know what means!_

* * *

**MATERNAL HEART**

"**The Conception"**

* * *

"This is Dr. Ralph," Damien says, gesturing at the stocky doctor that just mysteriously shows up in the bedroom. "He was my mom's OB-GYN."

"Hallo, pleasure to meet you," Pip peeps cheerfully. He leans against the bed rest and alternates glances between Damien and the doctor.

Dr. Ralph nods with all the seriousness of a doctor. He walks over to the bed and yanks the cover off Pip. The Brit lets out a startled gasp and snaps his eyes at Damien for an explanation. Damien merely shrugs his shoulders and watches Dr. Ralph rubs his hands on Pip's belly. The blonde squirms nervously under the touch and looks to Damien for assistance. Damien crosses his arms over his chest with an angry frown. It's no doubt that Dr. Ralph is the best obstetrician-gynecologist in Hell but it doesn't mean he can get all touchy-feely with the lover of _the_ anti-Christ. Damien is seconds away from shoving pineapples up the doctor's ass when Dr. Ralph claps his hands and rubs them excitedly together.

"Good, good, you are in prime condition," Dr. Ralph says with a nasal accent. "I am to understand you will be carrying the child?"

"Y-yes, Sir," Pip squeaks, still recovering from his unwanted violation. He pulls the comforter up and covers up to his shoulders.

"It's a relatively simple procedure," Dr. Ralph says. He snaps his fingers and a presentation board appears through a pillar of smoke. It contains a diagram of Pip's anatomy. Dr. Ralph points at the abdomen and explains, "What we are going to do is we are going to insert a womb right here. That's where the baby will grow. I am going to mix your and Master Damien's DNA together and inject the embryo directly into the womb. Some behind-the-scene demonic rituals thing happens and then nature takes over and we are good to go. You're going to go through a normal pregnancy just like any woman on here Earth."

"Jolly!" Pip cheers.

"Now, the procedure is going to quite painful. We don't have any anesthesia and you're going to be wide awake for it. It's similar to a C-section but it'll be short so you won't be in pain for too long. You understand, Mr. Pirrup?"

"I-I do, Sir."

"Good, good, that's what I like to hear." Dr. Ralph claps his hands together and winks at Pip. "Let's get down to work." He turns to Damien and says, "I'm going to need sperms from both of you. Now, I can give you each a little plastic cup and you can take care of business yourself. Or you can work together. Either way works for me." He walks to the nightstand and puts down two small transparent cups he carries in his pocket.

Damien raises an eyebrow at the doctor's euphemism. He looks at Pip, who is blushing shyly and playing with the bed cover. Damien sighs and waves his hand, ushering the doctor out of the bedroom. He closes the door and locks it after Dr. Ralph leaves. The television in the living room turns on and laugh track fills the apartment. Pip scoots up from the bed, pulling his knees up. He smiles sweetly at Damien.

"Well, here goes nothing," Damien mutters lowly for only himself to hear.

Pip lifts the cover up and invites Damien to cuddle under the warmth of the comforter. It isn't like it's their first time having sex but Damien suddenly finds himself not knowing what to do. His hands fondle Pip's shirt awkwardly. Pip wraps his arms around Damien's neck and places a deep kiss on his forehead.

"I love you so much for doing this," Pip whispers softly. He kisses Damien's lips tenderly. He giggles, "We are going to have a baby, Damien."

"Yeah… I guess we are…"

Damien scoots up and cups Pip's face in his hands. He traces the blonde's lips with his pierced tongue before he slips it into Pip's waiting mouth. They alternate between deep kisses with short ones. Damien unbuttons Pip's pajama top and tosses it on the floor. His fingers reach for the elastic band on the pajama bottom and ease it over Pip's bump and send it to the floor. He gazes at Pip's slender frame. Pip looks like a girl all over. If it wasn't for the extra something-something between his legs, Pip can pass as a small-breasted woman. Damien runs his cold hands up and down Pip's warm body as their tongues wrestle playfully. Pip takes a breather and glances over at the clock.

"Happy anniversary, my love," Pip says. He kisses the tip of Damien's nose.

"Happy anniversary too," Damien responds weakly. "Let's hurry… I don't want to keep him waiting."

Damien is never good at hiding his emotions and Pip is so good at reading emotions. The blonde places his hand on Damien's cheek with a sad frown. He pulls Damien closer and rests his chin on the shoulder. He rubs the back of Damien's shirt.

"We are going to be amazing parents," Pip says. "Don't worry a thing!"

Damien decides there is nothing he can say in response. He can't see the future. He will never know if he will be a good dad until the baby is living and breathing in front of him. He lets out a small sigh and nibbles Pip's ear. Pip sighs contently and works on unbuckling Damien's jeans. He pulls down the zipper and slips his fingers in. Damien grins at the intimate contact. Pip is rarely so active. Most of the time, he just lies on his back and waits for Damien to do things to him. The blonde fumbles with Damien's boxers and finds the slit. A low moan escapes from Damien's throat as Pip playfully caresses him.

"Pip, you are bold tonight," Damien teases. Pip grins mischievously at him. Damien smacks their lips together for a loud kiss. "I like it."

"Since it is our anniversary already, I am going to give you your present," Pip says with a cute smile.

Damien is smart enough to know that Pip's present for him is intended to be sexual. He nods eagerly and watches as Pip scoots back onto his knees. The blonde looks up at him with a coy smile before he reaches in and takes out Damien's manhood. Damien likes where it is going and sounds a soft moan to encourage Pip. Pip knows how to use his little mouth and he knows it. It's the reason why he only gives Damien oral pleasure every once in a great while. Damien would've liked something kinkier as a present but figures a blowjob means a lot to the modest Pip. He runs his fingers through the blonde strands and gives sly nudges now and then to push Pip lower.

"Hold on, Pip," Damien says breathlessly. He gets up and yanks off his jeans. He can't stand the way the zipper is chafing his sensitive skin. He takes off his shirt while he is at it and jumps back on to bed. "Alright, go."

Pip resumes giving his present with full vigor. Damien arches his hip to deepen the sensation. He will choke Pip if he pushes too hard – even if he really wants to - so he has to keep his move small and gentle. Pip keeps one hand on his thigh and the other on the shaft to guide it. He slips his tongue to the tip and laps around it. Damien groans and grins at the intense pleasure. Pip sure knows how to please his man.

"Tell me when you are close," Pip says.

"I will." Damien secures his hand behind Pip's head and leads him back to the spot between his legs. "Mmmm, Pip. You are really good at this."

Pip alternates his speed. Damien doesn't mind the change; he likes it both ways. Besides, the slower Pip goes, the longer it will last. He reaches over and teases Pip's perky buds. Pip lets out a muffled giggle and moves his hand to increase the pleasure. Damien glances over and sees how eager Pip is as well. He ruffles through the blonde hair and sighs deeply. Pip picks up his pace and Damien pants loudly in response.

"Pip… I-I am… ready…"

"Oh goodness! Hold on!" Pip pulls away. He hurries to the nightstand and picks up the plastic cups. Damien groans at the damned cups. That's right, they are making a baby. "Do you think you can aim in it? Perhaps I should hold it and you can---"

"Just give me the fucking cup," Damien grumbles, snatching the plastic cup in his hand. Pip smiles weakly and reaches to finish Damien off. Damien wants to knock Pip's hand away but decides if he is going to suffer down the road, he might as well enjoy the ride. "Do it faster," he mumbles and Pip complies. "Fuck, Pip. Faster!"

Damien pants heavily and arches his hip toward Pip's rushing hand. He tosses his head back, clenching his teeth and letting out a guttural moan as he releases himself. In the midst of the pleasurable relief, he feels something hard around his tip. He looks down and growls angrily at the cup dangling over his erection. Pip harvests his seeds with a happy smile. He scoops the white semen into the plastic cup and takes a look at it.

"I hope this is enough," Pip says. He sets the cup on the nightstand and looks back at Damien. "Is it my turn now?"

Damien has the idea of ditching his lover. If he wants a baby so bad, he can make it himself. But a little part of him – that annoying conscience part – demands that he stays with Pip and sees it through to the end. He gives a weak nod of his head and kisses Pip deeply. He guides Pip down on the bed and towers over the Brit. Pip puts his hands around Damien's shoulders as Damien slides his hand down to grasp Pip's private part. Any other time, Damien would've teased Pip to the edge until Pip begs for it. Tonight, Damien just wants to get it over with. Pip seems to think so too.

"D-Damien, I love you," Pip whispers breathlessly. His eyes gloss with desire and affection. "I love you more than you will ever ever know."

Damien isn't in the mood for Pip's cheesy romantic speech. He tightens his grip on Pip and speeds up. Pip lets out an audible whimper, squirming under Damien's vigorous touch. Damien pushes forward, forcing Pip to pull his legs up. He puts his free hand on Pip's waist and scoots the blonde back until he can reach the back entrance.

"Oh my!" Pip cries out when Damien slips a saliva-lubricated finger in. He bites on his lip as more fingers penetrate his body. "Oh! Ah! Mmm! Dam-Mmm! Damien!"

"I'm going in," Damien announces seconds before he invites himself into Pip. Pip yelps, gripping the bed sheet as his exit is stretched wide.

Damien starts out feeling out the entrance. He goes deeper with each thrust. Pip winces and whimpers as Damien rocks in and out of his body. Damien bumps his navel against Pip's hardened part to speed up the process that his hand is working on. Pip breathes heavily, mixing his sounds with moans of pleasure and cries of pain. Damien has a similar breathing pattern. He gulps, licking his dry mouth.

"D-Damien," Pip stammers, "t-the c-cup… Get the c-cup."

Instead of being horny, Damien is starting to feel more pissed off. He snatches the clean plastic cup and puts it over the tip of Pip's erection. Pip reaches up and holds the cup in place while Damien pumps him empty of his seeds.

"Ahhh…! Ohhh…! D-Dam-Damien…! Ahhh…! Mmm…!" Pip moans loudly, arching his back involuntarily.

Damien lets his hands move to Pip's buttocks and spread them open. Pip takes the time to put away the filled cup. Damien quickens his speed at the intense pleasure when Pip contracts his end muscles. He shifts to gain a better position and increases his speed again until his bodily need takes over and his hip moves on its own. Pip clutches the sheet and gazes up at Damien with longing eyes and a soft smile. He gasps quietly as Damien fills his inside with warmth.

"That was lovely," Pip says softly, stroking Damien's cheek.

"Sure, it was," Damien grumbles as he pulls himself out. He hops off the bed and puts on his jeans. He grabs the two cups with a disgusted grunt and says to Pip, "Stay here."

"Right-o…"

Damien unlocks the door and walks into the living room where Dr. Ralph is eating a bowl of popcorn. He looks up to Damien and stands up. Damien hands the cups over and dusts his hands on his pants. Dr. Ralph checks the semen sample and clicks his tongue.

"That was fast," the doctor comments.

"Tell me about it," Damien says, rolling his eyes.

Damien follows Dr. Ralph back into the bedroom. Pip has already put back on his pajama and fixed his appearance to look presentable. Damien kicks the door close while Dr. Ralph sets down the semen samples on the nightstand. He takes out a vial from the pocket of his lab coat and pours the samples into it with extreme care not to touch them while he does. Damien and Pip watch from the bed. Pip wraps his arms around Damien's bare waist and kisses his shoulder. Dr. Ralph caps and shakes the vial, mixing the semen together.

"That's it?" Damien says with a raised eyebrow. He wants to see some explosion or something cool. Instead, the vial only makes a hissing noise and then nothing more happens.

"Now that was the easy part," Dr. Ralph answers. He gestures for Damien to get off the bed. He hands the vial to him, which Damien takes with reluctance. "Now comes the hard part. Mr. Pirrup, once we start the procedure, there is no stopping it and you can't get rid of the womb until the child is born. If at any time you don't want the child anymore, we are going to need to perform a demonic abortion. But I warn you now… the abortion is going to hurt a lot more than this and it is extremely life-threatening. You understand?"

"I understand, Sir," Pip says with a determined nod.

"Now, Master Damien, I need you to step over so you don't get in the way."

Damien walks over to the other side of the bed and leans on the wall by the window. He crosses his arms, holding the vial with only two fingers. Dr. Ralph pulls off the comforter and kicks it away to the corner of the room. He grabs the pillow as well and throws it aside. He gestures for Pip to lie down and takes out five ropes from his pockets. He hands two ropes to Damien and instructs him to tie Pip to the bed.

"Oh goodness," Pip stammers nervously as he is roped to the bed.

"Everything is set. What I am going to now is I'm going to insert a womb inside your body. Are we all ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Damien says from the sideline. He catches Pip looking at him nervously and tries to smile. "It'll be fine, Pip. This is what you want."

"I-I… am scared… How much will this hurt?" Pip ask, eying the doctor.

"Not too much I hope. Here we go," Dr. Ralph says. He pulls a scalpel out of his front pocket (that man has everything he needs in his pockets!). He rolls up Pip's pajama top and presses the blade on the lower part of the abdomen.

"Oh dear, oh dear," Pip whispers quietly.

Dr. Ralph makes the first incision. Blood seeps out immediately and Pip gasps in pain. The ropes keep him secured and immobile though his body twitches. Damien winces as Dr. Ralph deepens the cut and slices open Pip's stomach, exposing the internal organs. He holds the incision open with one hand while the other hand takes out a glowing black orb from his coat. He glances up to see how Pip is doing.

"Master Damien, the vial please."

"Oh dear," Pip whimpers painfully.

Damien hurries over with the vial in hands. He follows the doctor's instruction to drop the vial into the glowing orb. The orb absorbs the vial and changes its color to a gray tone. Damien backs away to his original post and watches Dr. Ralph shoves the orb through the open incision. He lets go of his hand and the incision closes on its own. The wound is healed in an instant, leaving not even a scar behind.

"Is it over?" Damien asks, pushing away from the wall.

"We just started," Dr. Ralph says grimly.

Pip rolls his head like a drunkard. He mumbles intelligently and flutters his eyes open and close. He squirms a little but doesn't make any large movement. Damien watches the Brit's behavior and furrows his brows when he sees gray veins popping out from Pip's stomach, which is growing in size. Pip sounds an eye-shattering scream and thrashes violently on the bed. The whole bedroom seems to be shaking from his movement. Damien has seen a lot of fucked-up things in life but seeing Pip growling like a feral beast disturbs even him. The ocean eyes fill with anger and a lust for destruction. Damien looks over to the doctor for an explanation.

"His body is fighting the demonic power," Dr. Ralph explains. "He is going through a possession right now. It'll take some time to adjust."

Pip snarls and starts speaking in tongue. His whole body is consumed with gray veins and he looks even pastier than Damien. He snaps his eyes wide open and he rolls his eyes back in his head. Damien groans at the horrid sight. If he knows how terrible the procedure is, he wouldn't have let Pip go through with it. He walks over and tries to hold Pip's hand but a 'no' from the doctor stops him cold. His worry accelerates when Pip starts to foam in the mouth. He is pretty sure Pip is going through a seizure – a demonic one.

"How long is this supposed to take? Is Pip going to be okay?" Damien asks impatiently.

"It depends on his body really," Dr. Ralph answers. Damien fights off the urge to punch his face in. "The more he tries to resist, the longer and more painful it will take."

"You don't think you could've told us earlier?"

"Well… I forgot," the doctor admits shamefully.

"Shit… Pip…" Damien palms his face, leaving a gap between his fingers so he can see Pip twitching on the bed. He shouts, "Awwww, fuck no!" when Pip soils himself.

"That happens all the time," Dr. Ralph says with a compassionate smile. "It's going to be fine."

"Pip pissed and shitted his pants," Damien says through clenched teeth. "How is that 'fine'?"

"At least he doesn't have diarrhea like my last patient," the doctor says with a grin.

"That's not helping," Damien grumbles, turning his head away.

Pip lets out a loud whine. His large stomach arches toward the ceiling, breaking off the rope around the waist. As if it has a life of its own, Pip's stomach keeps reaching for the ceiling, dragging the rest of Pip's body with it. The ropes around his wrists and ankles struggle to keep Pip on the bed. The ropes burn Pip's flesh, leaving harsh red marks in their wake.

"Heehee, you're going to have one feisty son, Master Damien."

"I'm going to kill you," Damien mutters. He looks at Pip holding his position and snarling softly.

"Oh good, it's over. He made it," Dr. Ralph announces with a clap of his hands.

Pip's body descends and rests on the bed. He lets out a small sigh and closes his eyes to sleep. The swelling in the stomach goes down and the gray veins disappear as well. Color returns to Pip's body and a little smile touches his lips. Damien hurries over and brushes through Pip's hair. He scrunches his nose at the soiled smell.

"Pip? Pip?" Damien whispers.

"He is going to need a lot of sleep right now. Give him a day or two and he'll be back to normal," Dr. Ralph says, untying Pip from the bed. "In the meantime, you should clean him up and start reading up on pregnancy books 'cause that's the hardest part – the pregnancy. Wooh! Good luck, Master Damien."

"Get the fuck out of here already." Damien waves his hand to dismiss the obstetrician.

Dr. Ralph gives a nod of his head and disappears from the bedroom through a pillar of smoke. Damien turns back to Pip and sighs weakly. The conception isn't the hardest part? Well, shit, he doesn't want to know what's going to happen next. He walks out to the bathroom and gets what he needs to clean Pip up. He undresses Pip and decides to throw the soiled pajama instead of cleaning it. Pip won't miss them. He wipes Pip clean, cussing loudly as he does. Why the fuck is the anti-Christ wiping someone's ass? He is going to die of embarrassment if someone ever finds out.

After Pip is clean, Damien picks up the pillow and the comforter from the floor and tucks the father (or mother) of his child in bed. He turns off the light and walks out of the room and heads into the living room. He slumps on the couch and puts his feet on the coffee table. The TV is showing some soap opera in which – big surprise – a man has accidently impregnated his girlfriend and now they are trying to figure out what they should do.

"Get an abortion," Damien mumbles to the screen. He picks up the bowl of popcorn and shoves a handful in his mouth. "That'll solve all your problems."

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

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* * *

**

_Boyue's Note: Pippin is officially pregger! Hurray! =D _

_Thanks for reading. Reviews please?_

_2.06.09_

_9:50 PM_


	4. What a Drag!

_Boyue's Note: Oh dear. Sorry I took so long to update! T.T_

* * *

**MATERNAL HEART**

"**The First Trimester… **

**What a Drag!"**

**

* * *

**Damien wakes to the sound of Pip running out of bed. He turns over and falls on his side, barely catching a glimpse of Pip's back. He is used to Pip's frequent needs to go to the bathroom by now. Pip is either emptying his bladder or hurling into the toilet bowl. With the thin apartment walls, Damien listens and figures that Pip is doing the latter. He shudders at the sound of Pip gagging; he can't stand it when people throw up. It is too disgusting. He scoots a little closer to Pip's side to keep the bed warm. The clock says it's almost 7 in the morning; they have two hours to go before they have to get up and go to school. Pip is in college for the real deal. Damien just tags along for the ride. But if he can get into law school, he has a higher chance of becoming the president of the United States. Without using demonic influences.

He shifts and puts on a smile for Pip. The pregnant blonde walks into the room slowly, dragging his tired feet. He beams a smile – a lackluster one – and crawls back into bed. He sighs and scoots forward until Damien puts a hand on his slender shoulder. Damien leans forward and plants a kiss on Pip's forehead, noticing that Pip is sweating. He moves down and kisses the tip of Pip's nose. Kissing on the lips is out of question since he can smell the bile on Pip's breath. He gives Pip a good rub on the shoulder and pulls the small Brit closer in his arms.

"Feel better?" he asks.

"A bit," Pip answers weakly. He drew his eyes upward and added, "There was blood again."

"Still?" Damien huffs and rolls halfway over, keeping a comforting hand on Pip's shoulder. He picks up the yellow book on the nightstand and turns back. He flips the book open to a dog-eared page. The title reads 'Demonic Pregnancy for Dummies'. He scans the chapter going over the first trimester and says, "It says… that you should stop in four to eight weeks after conception. But throwing up blood is perfectly normal as your body moves and adjusts for the womb…"

"It hurts when I have to vomit, Damien," Pip whines, putting a hand over his abdomen. "Make it stop, please?"

"You know I would if I could," Damien says. He tosses the book back on the stand and pulls Pip on top of him. He places a deep kiss between the blonde brows and says, "Does this make you feel better?"

"Somewhat," Pip giggles, finally sounding happy for the first time this morning. "Do it again."

Damien kisses the same spot again and Pip giggles gleefully. The Brit situates his head between Damien's neck and shoulder. Damien lets out a content sigh. Nothing in the relationship has changed since Pip got pregnant; they are as close as they have always been. Damien likes it the way it is. But if he has learned anything from watching television, he knows the worst is yet to come.

"Go back to sleep," he tells Pip. "I'll wake up when it's time for class."

Pip nods and nuzzles against Damien. He drapes his arm over Damien's chest and sighs happily. Damien keeps his hand on Pip's small waist and places one more kiss between the brows. Pip frowns and chuckles softly. Damien looks down at Pip's tranquil sleeping face. Why can't it always be this perfect?

* * *

Damien walks hand-in-hand with Pip across the vast college campus. Pip breathes out of his mouth and a thin puff of air lingers before his nose before it disappears. He looks up at Damien and grins sheepishly. Seeing that grin, Damien can't help but smile as well. What is it with Pip and his adorable personality? It has turned the anti-Christ all soft and mushy. Pip squeezes their interlaced hands and brings it up. He pecks the back of Damien's hand before he lets them down again. Damien snickers and nudges Pip, teasing him for the affection. Pip sticks his tongue out and blows raspberry. They share a laugh before they stop in front of Pip's class.

"My feet hurt," Pip mumbles instead of saying good-bye. He looks down at his shoes that are probably too tight for him. He looks up after he wiggles his feet and says, "Anyhoo, I will see you later." Pip turns away and heads for the automatic door that leads inside the building.

"Hey, Pip!" Damien exclaims. Listening to the mischievous side of him, he chases Pip. Before Pip can turn around completely, Damien literally sweeps the Brit off his feet. Pip lets out a cry of surprise, holding onto his hat for dear life and staring at Damien with wide eyes.

"Oh dear! Oh dear! What are you doing, Damien?" The blonde gasps. A heavy blush paints his cheeks.

"You said your feet hurt, right? So, I'm carrying you to class." Damien grins and tosses the light Pip a bit to secure a better hold.

"Oh, you are such a silly man," Pip says, wiggling his finger in disapproval though his smile widens. "Oh my… this is terribly romantic… Alright then, you may carry me to class, my dear."

Damien chuckles as Pip wraps his arms around his neck. Pip is heavier than he remembers but still weights like a feather. He gets a good grip on Pip's thigh and calf before he takes a step. A few students look their way and make hushed comments about how sweet the scene is. They all probably thought Pip is a girl. Damien walks through the automatic door and heads down the hallway. Pip can't help himself but giggles. That's one thing Damien has learned about his Brit over the years; Pip giggles a lot, and he means, a hell lot.

"That way," Pip instructs, pointing at his classroom. He jokes in a sing-song voice, "If you don't hurry, I will be late for class."

"Ha!" Damien scoffs and picks up his pace. Pip squeals when Damien starts running as fast as he can toward the room. People have to dodge out of the way so Damien doesn't run into them. He stops outside the classroom and catches his breath, though he doesn't act like he needs to. He clicks his tongue at Pip and says, "Made it and got time to spare."

Pip gets off with a thump on the floor. He dusts himself and adjusts his hat. He gets on his tip-toe and places a modest kiss on Damien's cheek. Damien, on the other hand, doesn't care how uncomfortable PDA makes other people. He grabs Pip and pulls him against his body. He seals their mouths together despite Pip's protest. His pierced tongue homes inside Pip's warm mouth and explores the area. His hands skillfully slip down to Pip's bum and give it a playful squeeze.

"D-Da-Damien! Stop," Pip breathes, prying himself away. He pouts and says, "I have to go or I will certainly be late."

"Aww," Damien whines. He nuzzles forward like a puppy and says, "You are leaving me? Whyyyyy? Don't go, Pip. Pleeease?"

"Stop it," Pip giggles. He gives Damien a nudge away before he leaves another kiss. "Cheerio!"

Damien tugs his hands into his pockets as he watches Pip slip inside the classroom. His own class doesn't start for another forty minutes and now he has to go through the trouble of finding something to do to pass the time. He can go to the library like he usually does but he hates going there during this hour. The place is packed with people; it's like everyone decides to meet up in the library at 1 o'clock for god-knows-what reason. He decides to switch gear and tries his luck at the student commons. If he is lucky, he can find a quiet table to pass the time. He heads out the exit on the other side and hisses at the cold air.

He walks toward the east side of the campus. Two distant figures catch his attention. Stan Marsh and Kyle Brofloski walk side-by-side toward his direction. They are in deep conversation with Stan doing most of the talking. As the distance closes in, Damien's hearing picks up the tone in Stan's voice. Whatever they are talking about, Stan sounds very upset. Great… they must be fighting about something and from Kyle's body gesture, it looks like Kyle did something bad.

"Nothing happened…" Kyle mumbles.

"It doesn't look like it," Stan answers. "I… I can see the way you look at him, Kyle. If he is the one you like then…"

"I don't like him," the Jewish man says firmly but his eyes gaze away. "I want to be with you, Stan."

"I… I wish I can believe that. I really do."

Stan and Kyle and Damien aren't really friends even though the former twos are Kenny's best friends. He has just never found anything in common with the all-American boy and the intelligent Hebrew. And since they have been dating forever, they don't make much time to meet new people. Damien sees no reason to interfere with the conversation. Besides, neither Stan nor Kyle notices him passing inches next to them. He turns his head a little to watch the two lovers continue their surprisingly peaceful bickering.

"What is it about him that you like?" Stan asks, igniting the conversation again.

"Can you please drop it? Christophe is just a friend."

Damien hmm's at the mention of Chirstophe. If he wasn't head-over-hill for Pip, he would totally be after the god-hating French. What can he say? He has a thing for Europeans. But the way Christophe speaks and carries himself; it makes Damien's blood boils with excitement. He imagines being with Christophe will be the complete opposite of being with Pip. It will be wild and full of excitement and adventures. Instead of staying home and eating crumpets, they will be out living their lives to the fullest. He laughs and shakes his head. There is a reason why he chooses Pip out of all the available males in the world. The British gentleman has a special charm to him; he is the only thing that can make Damien feel at peace. And Damien will take that over wrestling wild boars any day.

He walks through the automatic door and looks at the crowded commons. He groans, knowing damn well that he won't find an empty table. Still, he figures he can give it a try and it will also help him pass the time. He slithers through the groups of people standing in line for food and keeps an eye out for a table. He stops walking when he sees a blur of orange in the back corner. A blur of orange that looks oddly familiar. He walks around a stool and heads toward the back corner to discover the orange source.

"Kenny, what the fuck are you doing here?"

Kenny looks up from his bowl of Chinese food; a strand of chow mein dangles in his mouth. He grins and slurps up the noodle into his mouth. Damien takes the empty seat across his friend and scoots his chair in. He looks at what Kenny is eating and remembers that he still hasn't taken Kenny out to dinner. Poor Kenny - eating fake, processed Chinese food at a university campus! It makes Damien feels like such a bad friend.

"Why are you eating Panda Express?" Damien asks.

"I was hungry and the line for Del Taco was too long," Kenny answers like it is the most obvious reason. He picks up an orange chicken and tosses it in his mouth.

"You don't even go to this school, dude. If you wanted Chinese food, you could've gone to Shitty Wok."

"Oh, don't you know, man? The Health Department closed down Shitty Wok last month. Turns out the Shitty Pork wasn't pork at all."

Damien decides he doesn't want to know what kind of meat it was actually… if it was actually meat at all. He reaches over and takes the fortune cookie lying on the table. He eyes Kenny for approval to crack the cookie open.

"All yours," Kenny says, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I am supposed to meet Eric for lunch but the fatass probably forgot."

"Ha, you think he would remember if it's lunch," Damien laughs and Kenny joins in. He cracks open the fortune cookie. He throws one half in his mouth while he pulls out the fortune and reads it.

"Is today your lucky day?"

"_Seek compromise instead of argument_," Damien reads. He doesn't usually care for his fortune. He crumbles the small piece of paper and throws it on Kenny's tray. "Speaking of arguments, what's the deal with Stan and Kyle? I saw them fighting over Christophe. What's going on?"

"I can't tell you that, Damien." Kenny puts a crooked smile and says, "That's their private business and if they choose to tell you, then you will find out."

"What the fuck?" Damien laughs. "Since when did you get all righteous and shit?"

"Sorry, man."

"It's cool," Damien says. He reaches over and grabs Kenny's soda. He takes a long sip and smacks his lips in disgust. "Fucking pink lemonade."

"Then don't drink it," Kenny teases. He leans over to the table to take the soda back but Damien doesn't realize it. At two different forces, the soda topples and spills on the table, splashing some on Damien and Kenny's clothes.

"Way to go, asshole," Damien grunts, shaking his arms to get rid of the lemonade. "I am going to the restroom."

Damien stands up and Kenny does the same. Damien leads the way into the restroom. Despite the large amount of students in the commons, the bathroom is strangely barren. Damien turns on the faucet and wets a brown paper towel to dry his sleeve. Kenny stands by the sink over and does the same. Damien looks up at his reflection and watches Kenny's reflection. Kenny needs a haircut desperately but the way how his yellow hair cascades over his oval face is… Well, it makes him look hot. Damien won't deny that he thinks Kenny is good-looking. There is something about his white-trashy look that makes him attractive. When Gods closes a door, he opens a window alright.

"How's Pip?" Kenny asks after he turns off the faucet. "How's the baby?"

"He's only two months. It's not a baby yet. Have you seen pictures of fetal development? Right now, it looks like one of those Aliens," Damien says with a shudder. "It's fucking hideous. But Pip is doing good… He says his feet hurt."

"Give him a foot massage."

"Where can I find a place that gives foot massage?"

"_You_ give him the massage. It's called bonding," Kenny says, drying his hands.

"How does me rubbing his smelly feet counts as bonding?"

"It shows that you care." Kenny tosses the used paper into the trashcan. "You don't know a lot about relationship, do you?"

"Yeah, and you are the great expert," Damien scoffs and heads for the door.

"Hey, wait. Does your dad know?"

Damien sighs. He locks the door just in case. He shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head.

"We haven't talked in years. You know that."

"I thought you would tell him the good news," Kenny says quietly.

"He hates Pip," Damien grumbles, "I doubt he will be happy to know that he's going to be a grandpa."

"You are going to tell him eventually, aren't you?"

Damien hates it when Kenny gets all critical and bossy. Sure, many times Kenny does know better but it gets annoying after a while. He shrugs again and rolls his eyes.

"Why does he have to know? This is about Pip and me. We are the only ones that matter."

"That's really selfish," Kenny says, narrowing his eyes. "You should talk to him. Avoiding him won't make anything better."

"All we do is fight when we see each other. What's the point?"

"Damien…"

"Stop it, Kenny." Damien takes a breath to calm his rising anger. "I know you mean well but I don't want to fucking hear it. I can handle my own problems, dammit. So just stop."

Kenny keeps his eyes on Damien and it's making him very uncomfortable. Damien turns around and unlocks the door. He opens it just in time to see a confused student blinking at him. He walks out of the student commons and heads for class. Who does Kenny think he is, anyways? Always acting like he knows what's best for everybody. He isn't a fucking counselor. Not everyone wants to hear his mighty advices. Damien kicks a pebble out of the way and huffs angrily as he walks inside the building. The good mood he feels this morning goes right out the window. He slumps in his seat and stares daggers at his professor, who quickly turns and looks at the blackboard.

* * *

Damien hates himself.

He looks down at the paper bag and wants to slap himself hard over the face. He can't believe he actually listened to Kenny's advice and went to buy a bottle of foot lotion. He can't believe he is actually thinking about giving Pip a foot massage. The anti-Christ massaging a mortal's feet? What madness is that! He pulls out his cell phone and checks for any message. He has sent Pip a text after class, saying that he had some errand to run and told Pip to go home alone first. Damien's last class doesn't end up til 5. After a good hour and a half at the mall, looking for the best kind of lotion, it is already drawing close to 7. He hopes Pip isn't hungry yet. But with the pregnancy, Pip has been eating a lot more lately. He doesn't want to keep Pip waiting. He hurries down the road and walks up the stairs that leads to their apartment. The living room light is on but the kitchen one isn't.

"Pip? I am home!" Damien announces as he opens the door. He kicks off his shoes, leaving them on the floor. "Pip?"

Damien closes the door behind him. He doesn't hear the shower running so Pip must be able to hear him. Maybe Pip is asleep; he is always exhausted lately. Damien walks toward the bedroom; the door is close. He doesn't want to disturb Pip if the blonde is sleeping but he wants to check up on him just in case. He reaches for the door.

"What the hell?" he mumbles. The door is locked. Pip wouldn't sleep with a locked door. Damien's heart jumps a bit. Did something happen to Pip? Now, he is worried. He knocks on the door and says loudly, "Pip? Are you alright? Pip?"

"Go away!" Pip shouts. "Go the bloody hell away!"

Damien narrows his eyes at the door. What is wrong with Pip?

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

_Boyue's Note: Hello, sorry again for the late update! =3 The next update, I am sorry to say, won't be soon. Hopefully in a few weeks... ^^;;  
_

_Reviews, yes? _

_3.02.09_

_12:53 AM_


	5. Seeking Compromise

_Boyue's Note: I was playing with my Damien and Pip Sims the other day. They had twins – a boy and a girl! =D And everything was going well until Pip decided to be a hero and tried to extinguish a tree fire. Unfortunately, he didn't do so well. The fire spread all around him. It was like Hell had opened up to swallow Pip. I tried to get Damien to help but if you have played The Sims, you'll know that Sims are in panic mode whenever there is a fire. Damien was freaking out and did nothing to help Pip. So Pip caught on fire and burnt to death while Damien and their daughter watched. So sad…_

_But that has nothing to do with this chapter._

* * *

**MATERNAL HEART**

"**The First Trimester… **

**Seeking Compromise"**

* * *

Damien takes a breath to calm his trembling body – his body trembling with anger. He clenches his fists and flares his teeth like a cornered animal. He grips the doorknob and shakes the door violently. Even though the apartment is cheaply built, the door stays locked, separating him and Pip. Unlike Pip's tranquil personality, Damien has a nasty temper and right now, he is about to be pushed to the edge. He won't just roll over and give up. Hell no. The day the anti-Christ is locked out of his own bedroom will not come.

"For the last time," Damien snarls, giving the stubborn door a hard kick, "Open the fucking door!"

"Let me be, Damien," Pip shouts. An angry sob is audible. "I don't want to see you."

"Whatever the fuck is up your ass, can't we talk about it face-to-face?"

"No, I am very crossed with you… I don't know if I can control myself. I think… I think I want to… kick you in the nuts!"

Damien draws in a deep gulp of air and blows it out of his mouth. His neck feels hot and his fingernails are scratching open his skin. He backs away from the door, calculating how much force it will take to ram it down. The door can't be that stable, can it? Too bad he isn't allowed to use his power even as the tips of his fingers burn. If he wants to, he can incinerate the door in a matter of seconds. But he isn't allowed to. So he has to resort to negotiating. Like a pathetic human.

"Why are you mad at me? What did I do?" Damien says as calmly as he can manage.

"You know what you did," Pip answers.

"Oh, Your Fucking Majesty, if I know what it is, I wouldn't be standing here and asking you like a goddamn idiot!" Damien can't resist but slams his fist in the door. He shakes his hand, hissing once he learns his lesson. Wood versus hand – hand loses. He says, "So just tell me and we can get over it and move on."

"I ran into Eric at school today," Pip says, his voice climbing the vocal scale. Damien is even more worried now. Eric Cartman is only good for one thing and that is to ruin people's life. He braces himself for whatever nonsense Cartman has put into Pip's head. Pip continues, "He told me you were talking to _Kenny."_

Damien's jaw drops in both anger and shock. He knew it would be bad but he didn't think it will be _this _bad. He didn't think it will be Kenny-bad. Now he sees why Pip is throwing a hissy fit like there is a twelve-foot pole in his ass. He huffs his shoulders and then shrugs them. What is he supposed to say to that? He was talking to Kenny and he was caught by Cartman. Damn that Eric Cartman! Damn him straight to Hell!

"Fucking fatass," he grumbles and it's the only thing he can think of to say.

"How could you do that to me?" Pip sobs. "How could you talk to him behind my back?"

"Pip, c'mon…" Damien rolls his eyes. He is never good at explaining himself. "You should've known that I'm not going to stop talking to Kenny just because you don't want me to. It doesn't work like that. You can't tell me what to do."

"Fuck you, Damien!" Pip shouts so loud that it feels like he is doing it right next to Damien's ears. "I rarely ask anything of you. I just ask for one simple thing – don't ever talk to Kenny McCormick but you can't even do that for me."

"You have to get over it," Damien says in response, shaking his head. "That's all I'm going to say. Get over it."

"Forgive me for not being able to 'get over' the fact that you cheated on me with him."

"Damn it, Pip!" It is now Damien's turn to shout very loud. The neighbors are sure to hear them. "We've been over this! When that happened, I thought we were broken up."

"We were not broken up," Pip says firmly, "we had an argument and I stayed at my uncle's place for a while. Despite that, we were still a couple and you cheated on me."

"You didn't talk to me for a month," Damien rebuts, throwing his hands in the air even though Pip can't see it. "You wouldn't answer my calls. You didn't even open the door when I was pounding the shit out of it. Pip, you were going to file a restraining order against me. So, no, _forgive me_ for taking them as a sign that we were done."

"I will grant you that," Pip says with a sniff. "But what hurts me the most is that you brought another man into _our_ apartment and had sex with him on _our_ bed."

"I didn't have sex with Kenny!" No, it isn't a Bill Clinton impression.

"You were about to! And that's what matters."

Damien won't deny that. If Pip hadn't walked in at that exact moment – the moment when he was pushing Kenny's legs up and readying himself for entry – yeah, he would have totally had sex with Kenny. And it would've been good. It would've been mind-blowing good. But instead, he fell out of bed with a full hard-on, chased after Pip out of the apartment, and tried to explain himself naked on the street. He learned first-hand that night that it is impossible to give a good explanation with an erection and alcohol cruising through the veins. The night ended with him not getting laid, things getting extremely awkward with Kenny, and Pip running off crying his eyes out.

But he is tired of fighting with Pip over that incident. What happened, what didn't happen, who cares? They are still together. Isn't that what counts?

"Be honest with me. Today isn't the first time you have spoken to Kenny, is it?" Pip asks.

"What do you want me to say, huh?" Damien says with a sigh. He shrugs and shakes his head. He is ending the argument now. If Pip still wants to mope about it, then that's Pip's business. "Yeah, fine, I was wrong. I made a mistake. I thought we were broken up but I guess we weren't and so yes, I cheated on you. And I am an asshole for doing that. But if I didn't love you so much, I wouldn't have put up with your shit. I wouldn't be standing here right now, trying to convince you that I love you, asking you to forgive me and move on. I wouldn't have agreed to have a baby with you even though I think that's a crazy idea and I have no clue what I'm going to do when the baby comes. And… I know you'll always think I'm at fault and you can hold that over my head forever. I don't care. But Kenny is my friend regardless of what happened and I think it's bullshit for you to demand that I don't talk to him. Because no matter how much it pisses me off, I would never take away something that makes you happy."

Damien heaves a deep sigh. He hates giving speeches. They always sound so fake and rehearsed. He stands outside the door for a moment, listening for Pip's reaction. He hears a loud sniffle but otherwise, there isn't a verbal response. That's what drives him crazy about his relationship. They can be in perfect harmony and bliss one minute and bite each other's head the next. There are so many ups and downs. It's like a… what's the term that humans like to use… 'emotional rollercoaster'. Every day, he wonders how it is possible that they are even in a relationship. They are complete opposite of each other and want different things out of life. Sometimes, he just wonders…

"When you're done being mad, I'll be in the living room. I bought some foot lotion at the mall. I was going to give you a massage," Damien says. "Anyways… Come get me if you want it."

He waits for a few more seconds. The door stays locked and close in his face. He turns around and heads into the living room. He walks by the kitchen table and picks up the shopping bag with the lotion. He looks inside at the white and purple tissue papers and sighs. He takes the bag with him to the couch. He sure hopes he will get to use the lotion. It was really expensive for a lotion. He puts his legs on the coffee table and stares at the blank TV screen. He can make out a bit of his reflection. What is the matter with him? He is the anti-Christ! He is supposed to be feared and revered by many. Instead, he is living in a one-bedroom apartment in god-forsaken South Park, Colorado, planning to share the rest of his mortal life with a British man who can pass for a girl and is named after a character from a Dickens novel. He doesn't need to be told how much he has failed in life – he can see it on his face. Someone might as well stamp a big, fat 'loser' on his forehead so everyone else can know.

He leans against the couch and makes what feels like the hundredth sigh of the night. It's at moments like these that he is glad he knows Kenny because Kenny can give him advices on what to do. But he knows he'll fuck things up more if he leaves to find Kenny now. God, he is so pathetic! What is it about Pip that makes him so vulnerable and helpless? He has pretty much surrendered himself to Pip's whim. Shit, he was going to give Pip a foot massage. Does anyone have any idea how degrading that is? He isn't Jesus – he doesn't go around touching people's feet.

"Damien?"

Damien snaps right out of his thought. He looks at Pip and puts his legs down. He didn't even hear the door unlocking and Pip coming out. He feels a pang in his chest when he sees the redness and the bags under Pip's eyes from crying too much. Pip's voice is raspy too. Why does Damien care so much about him? What is so special about Phillip Pirrup? Pip walks around and sits down on the far edge of the couch. He sniffs and rubs the tips of his nose with a finger. He gazes at Damien, mouth opening and closing like a carp as he tries to formulate his thoughts.

"I am still crossed at you," Pip says after a moment. "But if you massage me, I don't think I will be so angry no more."

Pip scoots into the couch. Shyly, he brings one leg up and puts it on Damien's laps. Damien lowers his eyes and stares at Pip's socked foot. The bottom of the sock is turning brown from the dirt. He shifts his body and scoots back toward the armrest. He pushes up Pip's pajama pant legs and takes off the sock. He turns around and takes out the bottle of lotion from the bag.

"May I see it?" Pip says. He reaches for the bottle. He twists off the cap and takes a sniff. A soft smile creeps up his face. He looks at Damien and says, "It smells like Pina Colada."

"You said pineapple and coconut remind you of summer and you like that," Damien says. He takes the bottle back and shakes the lotion directly onto Pip's foot. He puts down the bottle on the coffee table. He doesn't really know how to give a foot massage. He assumes rubbing will do the trick. He takes Pip's foot and starts to spread the lotion over the skin. He can feel a bit of swelling and sees the redness. No wonder Pip said his feet hurt. He applies pressure on the sole of Pip's foot and just lets his fingers roam wherever feels right.

"That feels nice…"

"I bet," Damien mumbles. He is usually able to pretend nothing happens but after that big of a fight, it's hard to play stupid.

"I am sorry I yelled at you," Pip says. Two seconds after he said it, he bursts into tears. He stammers, "I-I a-am s-sorry. P-Please d-don't be m-mad."

"Pip, look at my face," Damien says sternly. He knits his brows and purses his lips down. "I am not mad."

"Oh, it's m-my ho-hormones. They m-make me feel all bothered i-inside. I am an awful w-wreck. I didn't mean to s-snap… I a-am…"

Damien stops rubbing Pip's foot. He leans over and pulls Pip into his arms. Pip clutches onto his shirt and cries on his chest. Damien squeezes the Brit and rocks him gently back and forth. He plants a kiss at the top of the blonde hair and closes his eyes. Whatever it is that Pip has, Damien is completely under its spell.

"Don't cry. I hate it when you cry," Damien shushes.

"D-do you still l-love me?" Pip asks into Damien's shoulder.

"What do you think?" Damien pulls Pip away and stares intensely into the tearful blue eyes. "Would my hand smell like your feet if I didn't still love you?"

"I don't suppose so," Pip says, shaking his head meekly.

Pip slumps forward and lies on top of Damien. Pip has definitely gained some weight. Damien leans down on the couch until both of them are lying flat. He runs his hand down Pip's back while the blonde sniffs quietly. Sure, they have made up now but this is going down the record. And when they have their next fight, one of them is going to bring tonight up and everything will snowball until the next fight. Eventually, one day, they will just have so big an issue that there is no way they can be together anymore. It's almost funny to Damien that he is constantly thinking about what will happen when they finally call it over. He really hopes he will never find out. God must be laughing his ass off right now… playing Damien like that. But Damien has no trouble admitting the truth. He loves Pip. He loves-loves-loves Pip so fucking much.

"I don't mind you speaking to Kenny," Pip mutters into Damien's chest, "but will you not… mention him in front of me? I don't care to hear anything about him."

"Got it," Damien says. He decides to leave out that he hopes someday the three of them can get together. If things haven't gone down the wrong way, he thinks Kenny and Pip would've been good friends.

"Will you finish giving me the massage?"

Damien nods his head. He guides Pip up until the blonde is sitting against the couch. He kneels down in front and takes the foot into his hand. He shakes out the lotion and smoothes it over. Pip leans his head back and lets out a content sigh. Damien gazes upward. At the angle, he can see a bump beneath Pip's top. Pip is drawing close to the end of his first trimester. In the next three months, he is going to get bigger, be in new kinds of pain, and be so much needier. Damien isn't sure how he will manage. He heard somewhere that no one is supposed to argue with a pregnant lady. What is he supposed to do with Pip? He doesn't like the thought of agreeing with Pip on everything.

He rubs the bottom of Pip's foot. He pulls up a smile as he gives it a tickle. The Brit giggles and wiggles his toes. And all is well again.

At least for now.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

_Boyue's Note: Ah, my apologies for the short chapter. I am sectioning the fic by trimesters so next up will the oh-so-fun second trimester! _

_Reviews will Boyue a happy panda! =D_

_03.07.09_

_5:59 PM  
_


	6. Pocket Full of Sunshine

_Boyue's Note: This chapter is dedicated to Felse! Yay! =D_

* * *

**MATERNAL HEART**

"**The Second Trimester…**

**Pocket Full of Sunshine"**

* * *

Damien wonders how humans manage to go to work every day and not kill themselves. Well, some of them actually do kill themselves… as well as their co-workers. But really, how soul-crushing it is to have a job. And it isn't even the fun kind of soul-crushing – it's the boring kind. He glances up from the semi-circle-shaped reception desk and looks at the front lobby of Gerald Broflovski's law office. Why did he think it would be a good idea to work as a receptionist at a law firm? Oh, right, because South Park is just that pissant of a town and he didn't want that job as the mayor's aide since part of his job description is to fuck Mayor McDaniels. What the hell is wrong with this town? Decent people can't get decent jobs.

Damien slumps on the desk and lets out a loud yawn. He checks the time and groans once he sees that he is about thirty minutes away from clocking out. The home stretch is always the worst. Even then, he'll be back here again on Thursday since he has to pick up an extra shift. They are starting a fund for the baby. Pip's a good four-month now and his belly is starting to show, which means he doesn't go out in public as much if he doesn't need to because they don't care to explain to anyone that Pip has carrying a demon seed. Especially if Father Maxi finds out… Oh that will be a heck lot of problems for them.

Damien looks up when the front door open. Thinking that it is a client, he sits up and puts his hands on the table in a professional manner. Turns out, it is only Kyle Broflovski looking for his dad. Damien and Kyle have never been close at all. Kyle is the kind of person who steers clear from bad influences, i.e. the anti-Christ. Of course, that doesn't explain why he is often seen hanging out with that chain-smoking Frenchman. But that's not Damien's business, as he has been told by Kenny. Damien shifts in his seat and gives a casual wave to his boss's son. Kyle glances at him with a brief smile before he heads toward the office. Damien turns his head and watches Kyle walk into the office. He notices that Kyle looks a bit fazed and tired. His eyes are also kind of puffy too. Must have had a long day. The door closes with a thump and Damien is once again bored. He stretches his upper body out on the desk and reaches into his pocket to get his phone. He lights up when he sees a text message from Pip. He is disappointed though after he read the message and finds out that it is a grocery list of things Pip needed. He sighs and jots down the list on a piece of paper. Going grocery shopping is supposed to be Pip's job. He decides that he doesn't want to bitch about it because that'll get him nowhere.

He turns his head when the office door opens and Gerald steps halfway in the hall.

"Damien," Gerald shouts from the hall, "you can take off early today."

"Cool," Damien says. Getting out twenty minutes early is pretty good. "See you Thursday, Mr. Broflovski."

Damien stands up and shakes his legs. He takes a peek into the hallway and watches Gerald get back to the office. Before the door closes, Damien swears he can hear Kyle crying inside the room. It can just be his imagination though. He grabs his phone and turns off the computer. He heads out the door and walks to the grocery store across town. They can really use a car even though South Park is small enough to walk everywhere. Damien isn't much for walking in the cold. But Pip is always saying how they shouldn't spend money on things they didn't need. And no matter how hard he tries, he just can't convince Pip that they need a car.

Damien walks through the automatic door and grabs a basket from the side. He takes out the grocery list and skims through the items. He frowns and wonders why Pip needs superglue. He walks to the stationary aisle and looks at the merchandise. He looks for the cheapest one but a silver tube stands out to him in particular. He picks out the glue and snickers to himself.

"Jesus Glue," he mumbles with a smile, "guaranteed to glue anything to everything or your money back."

He looks at the price; it's a little more than what he likes to pay for a bottle of glue but he just can't resist the drawing of Jesus giving a big thumb-up. He tosses the glue into the basket and moves on to the next aisle. Pip wants chocolate bars, salted peanut, sugar frosting, and milk. If he didn't know better, it looks like Pip is baking a cake. Damien slithers through the aisles and checks down the grocery list. He walks to the dairy aisle and looks at the selection of milk. What happened to the good ol' day when there was only one kind of milk? He looks at the different carton sizes and packaging color and has no idea which one he should pick. He is tempted to get the strawberry milk because that sounds like fun but decides to go with the traditional one. He puts the carton in the basket and looks briefly at the picture of a missing child. He groans at the basket weighting down on his arm. He looks at the list and nods to himself once he sees that he has gotten everything. Damien hurls the basket to the check-out line. He puts the basket on the belt and stretches. He glances at the magazine racks and is about to take one out when he hears an annoying voice that is horribly familiar.

"Ey, shut up, Kenny!"

"I'm just saying you should cut down on the Cheesy Poof."

Damien bends out of line and looks around. It's exactly who he thinks it is. Eric Cartman hugs two party-size boxes of Cheesy Poofs and walks toward the cashier. Kenny grins at his fat friend and places a bag of beef jerky on top of the boxes. Damien frowns at the sight of the fatass. He really doesn't know what Kenny sees in Cartman. It must be that whole 'he has a side that he only shows to me' bullshit. Damien hesitates as the best friends come closer. He knows Cartman is going to say something and he isn't in the mood to talk. He still needs to give Cartman a beating for what he told Pip a few months ago. What a meddlesome asshole.

Damien takes a step toward the old man in front of him. He turns around and awkwardly ducks when he sees Eric and Kenny closing in. The old man gives him a look and Damien thinks he looks like an idiot too. Why should he be avoiding Cartman anyways? That makes no sense. Still, he stays ducked and listens to them getting in the line next to him. He stands up carefully. Good thing the magazine rack is placed right in the middle so he can't see them and they can't see him. He stands straight and acts normal even as the cashier and the old man eyes him.

"Oh my god, Kenny, you know the funniest thing happened today," Cartman says with a snort. "Stan dumped Kyle."

"Dude, how's that funny?" Kenny asks. Though Damien can't see it, he knows Kenny has the biggest frown on his face. If that's true, Damien can see why Kyle was crying to his dad.

"I told ya they won't last," Cartman answers. "Nobody can stand to love a Jew. Hey, what are you doing? You aren't calling Kyle, are you?"

"I'm calling Stan. I don't believe you," Kenny says. "Damn, he turned off his phone."

"You know what else is funny? I ran into the Frenchie in the restroom and he was throwing up and he was wearing all these loose clothes. I, ha, he acts like he's knocked up. Isn't that funny? Huh, Kenny!"

Shit. Shit. Shit. Damien scoots toward the line. The bagboy asks if he wants paper or plastic. Damien mumbles something quick that sounds like 'papstic'. He keeps his head turned to the opposite side since the rack isn't there to hide his face. Luckily, it doesn't seem like either of them has noticed his presence yet.

"Oh my god... Is he pregnant?" Cartman says.

"No way," Kenny says calmly. "How is that even possible?"

"A-ha! I always knew he has a vagina."

"Eric, listen to what you're saying. You know how ridiculous that sounds? Pip was probably throwing up because he ate something bad," Kenny explains.

Damien takes a breath of relief. He knows he can count on Kenny to keep a secret. No one else can know that Pip is pregnant; it just won't make any sense. He shoves a handful of cash to the cashier and steals a glance at the next line. Kenny is looking right at him. Damien gulps. His hand holds out to take the change. Kenny looks away and turns his attention back to Eric, acting like he didn't see Damien. He fucking loves Kenny. Kenny always knows what to do. Damien shoves his changes into his back pocket and grabs the grocery bags. As he hurries out the door, he hears Cartman says…

"Why are you defending him? Oh don't tell me you want to stick your dick in his vagina? Are you the father, Kenny? Hmm?"

Kenny's response is, "Fuck you."

Damien stands at the entrance of the supermarket. He blinks up at the afternoon sky and shifts the weights of the bags to his hands. If only Cartman knows the real truth, he wouldn't be making stupid jokes. Wait, actually, if Cartman knows the truth… Damien shudders at the thought. He doesn't want to know what'll happen. He grips the bags and hurries home. He wants to see Pip.

* * *

Damien puts down the grocery bags on the kitchen table. He looks at the red marks on his palms and groans. He should've asked for paper instead. He looks at the direction of the bedroom just in time to see Pip hurrying out. Pip skips toward him and throws his arms around his neck. The Brit plants a deep kiss on Damien's lips, making a loud smacking noise as they pull apart. Damien grins and rubs his hand on Pip's back. He leans away a bit and stares down at what Pip is wearing.

"Is that my shirt?" he asks.

"Oh, yes, it is, dear," Pip answers. He opens and digs through the grocery bags. He takes out the bar of Snicker and tears the wrapper off like a wild beast. He stuffs half the bar into his mouth without even chewing. As he begins to chomp down on the chocolate bar, he shoves the latter half in and reaches for the other bar in the bag. He is eating the chocolate like… well, like a fat kid who hasn't had chocolates forever. He rips open the second bar and places it on deck in front of his mouth.

"Why are you wearing my shirt?"

"Nmmthinnnng fwit," Pip mumbles with a mouthful of nougat goodness. He licks his lips and gulps down the brown mess in his mouth. He coughs and says, "My shirts don't fit over my belly. Damien, darling, will you take me shopping please? Do you think the motherhood store will have my size?"

"Well, I don't know," Damien says with a grin. He loops his arms around Pip's waist, which is proving to be difficult since the belly gets in the way. He pulls Pip close and is happy to find that he can still lock his fingers behind Pip's lower body. He feels the belly pressing against his abdomen and sighs. He pecks Pip's forehead and says, "I think you look hot in my shirt."

To prove his point, he slips his hands under the big t-shirt and runs his fingers up and down Pip's back. Pip giggles and nuzzles against Damien's neck. He pulls away rather quickly and bites down on the second chocolate bar. Damien doesn't remember Pip being a chocolate fiend before. Pip breaks away and looks in the grocery bag. He looks up at Damien with a disappointed face.

"There are no more." He bites off a chunk and chews noisily. He turns to Damien and pouts, "Will you get more tomorrow please? And I'd like some M&Ms as well. Please. Thank you, love. Do you think I can eat frosting alone? Perhaps not…"

"Are you even supposed to be eating chocolate?" Damien asks as he walks over to the couch.

"Well, I don't see the harm in it," Pip says. "I'm always hungry. I have the strangest craving for veal today. Perhaps we can go to a nice restaurant in Denver tomorrow night. Yes, Damien?"

"Pip, you said you don't have the heart to eat tortured baby cow meat."

"I know… but I have never tried and I would really like to just once. Can we go please, tomorrow night? Please?"

Damien slumps against it with a loud _fwoosh_. There is nothing better than coming home to his lover and crashing on the couch after a long day at work.

"If you want," he says to Pip, "I'm down."

"Oh jolly!"

Damien reaches for the remote and turns on the television. He scoots until he is comfortable and puts his feet on the coffee table. He hears Pip taking the grocery out of the bags and putting them away. He scratches his neck and looks at the time. He had a late lunch and isn't feeling hungry yet but Pip is probably starving. Heck, Pip is always starving even since he got pregnant. He is always waking up at odd hours of the night and roaming through the fridge. Eat, sleep, and pee – that's pretty much Pip's daily schedule. Damien glances at the kitchen and sees Pip taking out the milk carton from the bag. He looks back at the television and watches a burger commercial.

"When do you want to eat?" he asks.

"What is this?" Pip asks.

Damien turns his head and sees Pip shaking the milk carton like he really has no idea what it is. He frowns and throws a hand up in confusion. He says with a playful smile, "It's milk. You know, the stuff that comes out from cow teats."

"I know what the bloody hell milk is," Pip says and Damien knows shit is about to go down. "This is whole milk. I can't drink this. I only drink 2%."

It probably wasn't a good idea to say it but Damien can't shut his mouth up sometimes. He raises an eyebrow and asks with a scoff, "What difference does it make?"

"It's too fucking fat! That's the difference," Pip shouts. "Aren't I gaining enough weight as it is?"

The entire mood in the apartment shifts. So, yes, Pip has gotten a little fat since the pregnancy but that's completely normal. Damien would be worried if Pip _isn't_ gaining weight.

"Pip," Damien says as calmly as he can, "you're eating for two. It's normal to get some weight."

"Oh, so you do think I'm fat?" Pip snarls.

Fuck. There is no way out of this, is there? Damien takes a deep breath and organizes his thought. Seriously, why is it okay that Pip eats tons of chocolate but won't drink whole milk? What logic is that? But he knows he can't tell Pip that… he needs to think of something quick because he can see Pip tightening his grip on the milk carton.

"I don't… Okay, you are a little fatter than you were before but---"

With Pip's frail exterior, it's easy to forget that he is the world champion of dodgeball. As the milk carton hurls toward his face at 160 miles per hour, Damien is sorely reminded of the fact. The carton smashes him right in the nose. He falls off the couch from the impact. The carton breaks and drenches him in cow milk.

"FUCK!" Damien groans, cupping his hands over his lower face. He hopes his nose isn't broken but it's hard to say 'cause everything feels so numb right now. He stares up at Pip and bares his teeth. "What the fuck was that!"

Pip palms his face and sobs loudly in his hands. Damien rubs his nose and wipes the milk off his face. He gets up – or at least tries to – before he falls right back down. He can't possibly get a concussion from a milk carton, can he? He can't see Pip from the floor but he can hear how loud he is crying. That seems to be Pip's way of dealing with things lately. He just cries and cries and expects Damien to forgive him. And Damien really would've. But after taking a carton to his face… let's just say the milk is being warmed by the anger boiling from his body. Did he deserve to get plummeted for telling the truth? He hates it. He fucking hates the emotional Pip.

Damien pulls himself up. He feels a dizzy spell but manages to keep himself conscious. He wobbles over to the kitchen and finds Pip sitting with his legs pulled to his chest and sobbing like it is the end of the world. Damien flops down next to the Brit and puts a hand on Pip's shoulder. Pip harshly shrugs it off and turns away.

What a baby.

"Pip, Pip, listen to me," Damien says, forcing his hand on Pip's shoulder.

"You think I'm fat and ugly and you don't love me anymore," Pip chokes out.

That's how it is lately. Pip jumps to a crazy conclusion that usually involves Damien not loving him anymore. That has never been true. Damien scoots over and pulls Pip into his arms. Pip struggles against it and breaks away. He crawls away on his knees. Damien sighs and leaps after Pip. He holds on to Pip's leg and drags the escaping Brit back to him. He locks his arms around Pip's chest.

"Listen to me, Pip! Goddammit, listen to me!" Damien shouts right in Pip's ear. The blonde shudders and sniffles loudly. It doesn't do anything to stop the trail of snot coming out of his nose. Damien squeezes Pip tight and says, "I love you, Phillip Pirrup. Do you hear me? So enough with your fucking bullshit and crying. I'm sick of them, do you understand? Do you? If I hear one more word out of you about how you think I don't love you anymore, I'll fucking kick your ass."

"I-I, well, that's not v-very nice, Damien," Pip says.

"Damn it Pip, what the hell is the matter with you? You go into these crazy tantrums. You act like you're five."

"I d-do not," Pip says. He sniffles and turns his head up toward Damien. "Do I?"

"Hell yeah, you do. Remember how you got when we were at McBurgers and they were sold out of Goody Meals? Do you remember what you did?"

"Y-yes… I sat on the floor and wouldn't get up u-until they b-brought me… my toy…" Pip trails off and whimpers. He rolls over so he can cry on Damien's shoulder. "I still h-have it… It's on the nightstand…"

"See… I'm worried about you," Damien says as he strokes Pip's back. He places a kiss through Pip's blonde hair. "This is way more than mood swing. You've been acting really weird since you got pregnant."

"Oh, dear, you don't think the baby has something to do with it, do you?" Pip leans away a bit and places a hand on his belly. "You know, Damien, the baby kicked today. I felt it."

"Really…?" Damien softens. A drop of milk drips from his hair and onto his eyelash.

"Yes," Pip says. He takes Damien's hand and guides it to the lower part of the belly. "She kicked me right here."

"She?" Damien frowns as he tries to feel out a movement. Aside from Pip's natural breathing, he can't feel anything. "How do you know it's a girl?"

"I don't but I hope it'll be a girl." Pip smiles softly and wipes his nose.

"I hope it'll be a boy 'cause I'm not going to deal with having a girl," Damien says with a laugh. Pip joins him in the laugh. Damien brushes Pip's hair out of the way and kisses him on the cheek. "I'm going to get Dr. Ralph up here to check you out, okay?"

"Oh, no, no, I don't want to be a bother," Pip says.

"I'm serious. This… this can't be normal. It'll just be a check-up to make sure everything is good." Damien squeezes Pip's shoulder and pulls the blonde closer to him. He wraps his arms around Pip's frail frame and rests his head on top of Pip's. "Pip, can I ask you something?"

"What is it, dear?"

"Was it really that fucking big of a deal? Whole milk or 2%, does it really matter that much?"

"I suppose I did overreact…" Pip lowers his head.

"You supposed right. Good thing I didn't get the gallon."

"Oh, my! That would've been terrible," Pip giggles. He pecks at Damien's neck and smiles softly. "I'm awfully sorry. Will you forgive me… again?"

"You know I will."

Damien looks down at Pip and grins. How he can stay mad at that sweet… pudgy face and those gorgeous blue eyes? Pip gazes at him and smiles so full of love that Damien is almost willing to forget that he got hit in the nose with milk. He leans down and is about to seal their lips when the door bell rings. He turns his head to the door and frowns. He turns back to Pip, who has an equally confused frown.

"You expecting someone?" Damien asks as he stands up.

"No, not that I know of," Pip answers. "Perhaps it's the neighbors."

Damien walks to the door and opens it. There is a man about their age with flaming orange hair and bucked tooth. He is wearing a bowtie and a red vest that is strikingly similar to Pip's old outfit. Damien raises an eyebrow at the stranger. He hears Pip getting up and standing next to him. A sharp gasp escapes from Pip's throat as he covers his mouth with surprise.

"Pocket!?" Pip exclaims.

"Pip, ol' chap! How do you do?" Pocket greets.

"Oh my! Oh my! Oh my! I thought you were dead," Pip says with a palm on his chest. He sighs, "Oh, dear, I'm so relieved. You are alive!"

"That was just a silly rumor. Honestly, I don't know how that got so out of hand. Say, who is this charming young lad?" Pocket turns to Damien and smiles oddly. Damien narrows his eyes. What the fuck is the piece of shit smiling about?

"This is Damien," Pip says as he links arms with Damien, "he is my boyfriend."

"Hello," Damien says in a low voice.

"Ah, is that so! Charmed, Damien. Dear me, Pip, I am ever so happy for you, ol' chap."

Damien blinks. All the British silly-nanny talk is making his head hurt. That or because maybe he does have a concussion. He moves away as Pip invites Pocket into the apartment. He watches the two Brits settle down on the couch and starts chatting up a storm in the glorious British language. They throw names of places and people that Damien has never heard of. He scratches his head and figures he might as well use the chance to take a shower. He walks away from the couch, kind of sad that Pip didn't even notice him go. He slips inside the bathroom just as Pip and Pocket share a loud laugh. A weird feeling stirs up in his chest. He turns on the shower and throws off his clothes. He steps into the shower and lets the water wash out the milk in his hair.

As the warm water rids his hair of milk, Damien realizes why he isn't particularly fond of this Pocket person. He splashes water on his face and groans angrily. He just never thought…. Pip would have friends. He always thought he is Pip's only one… and that he is the only one Pip needs.

For the first time ever, Damien thinks he is actually jealous.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

_Boyue's Note: I got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine. I got a love and I know that's all mine. Oooh~ xDD_

_The next two chapters will finally get to the core of the story. Phew. Took so long to get here._

_REVIEWS, NAO! =D_

_03.19.09_

_2:10 AM  
_


	7. Perfect

_Boyue's Note: This one is for Felse again – be happy! =D_

_Rated M - This chapter contains pregnant sex… OH MY!_

* * *

**MATERNAL HEART**

"**The Second Trimester…**

**Perfect"**

* * *

Damien yawns and rubs his sore shoulder. Sitting in an office can be extremely tiring. And since he has to work the whole day now to earn the extra cash, his entire body is aching with fatigue. He rolls over in bed and looks up at Pip reading a paperback baby book. Pip's hair has grown out and he has resorted to tying the loose end into a short ponytail. Damien thinks Pip's new look is quite cute even if it makes him look more like a lady than ever. Pip flips the page and flicks his eyes over. Once he sees Damien looking at him, he marks the page with his finger and smiles sweetly. Damien returns the smile as Pip bends down and pecks the tip of his nose. Damien yawns again and scoots over. He wraps his arms around Pip's thick waist and puts his head in the space below Pip's armpit. Pip is wearing a big t-shirt that used to belong to Damien. They really need to go get Pip some new clothes.

"Damien," Pip says. He closes the book and puts it into the drawer of the nightstand. "We haven't… been intimate for a while, have we?"

"No," Damien answers. He pushes himself up on his elbow. Sex is a topic he is willing to discuss no matter how tired he is. "Not since you got pregnant."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry." Pip rolls on his side, careful of his growing belly, which is more visible now. Anyone can tell that he is obviously pregnant, which also means Pip spends most of his day in the apartment and if he does go outside, he wears the largest outerwear he can find. The good thing is no one really suspects what Pip is hiding under that XL windbreaker. Pip takes hold of Damien's hand and asks, "Would you like to then?"

"Have sex?" Damien perks. He is always up and ready to have sex – that is not a question. But he is worried about Pip. He narrows his eyes and looks down at Pip's belly. "You mean like a blowjob?"

"I was thinking of the whole thing," Pip says with a frown.

"Wait, can we do that?" Damien sits up with a jump. He has been holding himself back since he thought he can't have sex with a pregnant person.

"Of course we can, dear," Pip giggles. He sits up as well and adjusts himself on the bed so he is more comfortable. "Miss Carriage says it is perfectly healthy and normal to have intercourse during a pregnancy."

"Miss who?"

"Miss Carriage," Pip repeats. "She runs the birthing class that I go to."

"You're going to a birthing class?" Damien asks. He hasn't heard anything about that and he doesn't like surprises. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh, I didn't think you would care to go… I thought you would find it tedious," Pip explains.

"You didn't even ask me! I would've totally gone with you," Damien says. He huffs and takes a breath once he sees that he is upsetting Pip. He puts his hand on Pip's cheek and says, "I want to be there with you on these things. I don't want you to go alone, okay?"

"Right-o." Pip nods and lets his eyelids down as Damien plants a kiss on his forehead. He gazes up and smiles, "Shall we then?"

"Hell yeah," is all Damien says before he captures Pip's pouting lips and sucks the air out of Pip's mouth. "I can't believe we haven't done it in five months!"

Damien cups Pip's face and traces the sweet lips with his tongue, taking care to feel out the smooth texture and the scented lip balm Pip has put on. Pip locks his arms behind Damien's back and draws their bodies as close as his belly will allow. Damien pulls away and plants soft kisses down Pip's graceful neck. He always thought Pip has such a beautiful neck, as if necks can be beautiful at all. He reaches down and pulls the shirt over Pip's head. Once the shirt is gone, his fingers diligently rake through the luscious blonde forest. He breaks off the hair tie, letting Pip's long hair roams free. He brings his hands to massage Pip's warm torso, soft and pleasing to the touch. He does notice that Pip is doughier than before but he enjoys the padded feel. Their mouths part but their tongues stay connected, dancing to a symphony of pleasure-filled moans.

"D-Damien," Pip calls breathlessly. He licks his lips, wiping the excess saliva that belongs to both of them. He keeps the advancing Damien at bay with his hands.

"What's the matter?" Damien asks equally out of breathe. He leans forward in an attempt to seize Pip's kiss-swollen lips but Pip leans away. He frowns as he steadies his excited breathing.

"Skip the foreplay, please. I can hardly wait," Pip says shyly. He gets on his knees and pulls off the loose pants. It is then that Damien notices the fully ready bulge that has been hiding behind the fabric of the lounge pants. Pip tosses the pants along with his underwear to the floor. He scoots forward on his knees and saddles Damien. His hands work to remove Damien's pants while his skilled tongue distracts Damien's attention.

"I've never seen you so horny," Damien mutters in between heated kisses. He slips his pierced tongue in Pip's mouth and laps circles in the moist orifice. He keeps his hands on Pip's side to anchor the eager Brit, working so quickly to strip off the bothersome clothes.

"It's the hormones, I think," Pip responds. His eyes are barely open as he slathers kisses all over Damien's naked body. He lets out soft moans as he sucks on Damien's earlobe, "It makes me want you so terribly bad."

"I like your dirty talk," Damien chuckles. He rubs his hands up and down Pip's back as his tongue reciprocates the act of ear-kissing.

"Oh, I can't hold it. You have to take me now," Pip says. He moves off Damien's laps and turns away. He pushes the bed covering off to the floor and moves the pillows out of the way. He rests on elbows and knees and presents his entrance to Damien. "Please hurry, dear, I want it. I want it now."

Damien takes a glance at himself. He isn't ready for penetration yet but he can't keep Pip waiting, especially if Pip wants it so badly. He is usually the one who wants sex and it is unbelievably arousing to see Pip practically begging him for it. He has to satisfy the Brit. He just has to. He scoots toward Pip with one hand reaching for the drawer to find the lubricant and the other working to harden himself. Since Pip's pregnancy, Damien is sad to say he has gotten quite good at pleasuring himself. He knows what he likes and how he likes it. He wraps his hand around his stiffing erection and massages the tip. A groan escapes his throat as he pulls open the drawer and takes out the nearly-used bottle of lubricate. He makes a mental note to restock later. He uncaps the bottle and lathers the jelly over his now-ready self.

"Damien, are you ready yet?" Pip urges, wiggling his toes with eagerness.

"Almost," Damien says. He squeezes out a few drops and smoothes them over Pip's entrance. Pip wrinkles his sphincter and emits a high moan. Damien caps the bottle and tosses it to the side. "Okay, I'm ready."

Damien pinches Pip's buttocks, which makes Pip giggle with a hiss. He spreads them apart and situates himself for entry. He should prepare Pip for it first but he figures they have done it so many times that Pip is loose enough for him. He pokes the tip in and sounds out a content moan at the tightness rushing from all direction. He moves a hand down to Pip's thigh and simultaneously pushes forward and pulls Pip backward. Pip whimpers with a mixture of pain and pleasure. Damien rubs his thigh to sooth the stretching sensation away. Turns out Pip isn't really that loose yet. Lesson learned. He looks down and sees that he is only an inch in and Pip can definitely take more. He moves his pelvis forward. Pip cries with more pain than pleasure and Damien stops dead.

"You alright, Pip?"

"Oh, yes, I think so. Go on, please. Deeper," Pip pants. He grimaces when Damien enters a little more. "Ah, yes, more. More please!"

Damien is extremely happy about the current situation. Seeing Pip so aroused is the best foreplay for him. He grips Pip by the thighs and moves onward, grinning at the pleasing sensation. He looks down and checks. Pip can take another inch before he complains that Damien is too deep in. Damien edges forward and the grin disappears from his face. He looks down with a frown as he realizes that he can't go in anymore. It's like something is blocking Pip's colon. That can't be right. He knows Pip is deeper than that. Damien re-positions himself and tries again to plunge deeper.

"Deeper," Pip moans with his eyes sealed.

"Uh, Pip, we got a problem," Damien says. "I… don't fit."

"What do you mean?" Pip turns his head as much as he can.

"Your ass is too… tight. It's like you're a virgin again," Damien says. "I'm like an inch and a half in but it won't go in anymore."

"Oh, that's not right," Pip says.

Damien tries one more time. But Pip's cramping tightness won't budge. He sighs and pulls out all the way. He sits on the bed and shrugs his shoulders. Pip turns his body over, trying to check his wrinkled entrance but his belly doesn't give him much room to maneuver. Damien watches Pip with amusement and disgust. It's absolutely hilarious to watch Pip try to look at his own ass but once he realizes that it's the first time he has ever seen Pip's naked pregnant body, Damien can't help but feels that it is so… wrong. He has seen a lot of crazy shit in his life, some of them natural, some of them manmade. But as he looks at Pip's flat chest that leads to the bumpy abdomen that shelters the erection, he just feels so freaked out. Men shouldn't be pregnant, just like they shouldn't have wings or fins or tails. It's not right. It's just not right.

"I do think the baby may be pressing against it," Pip says. He places a hand on his belly and smiles, "That would certainly explain why I haven't used the loo in a while."

"So… what now?" Damien raises an eyebrow. Somehow, he has lost all appetite for sex, which is probably the strangest thing he'll ever feel.

"This is certainly awkward, is it not? I do say the mood is ruined." Pip laughs. He grabs the pillows and puts them back to their original places. "Perhaps we can snuggle and enjoy each other's company? What do you say, Damien?"

"That sounds alright." He is really too tired to do anything else.

Damien helps remake the bed before he slips under the comforter and rests his weary head on the pillow. He'll probably get up in the middle of the night and hide out in the bathroom to finish the job. Right now, all he really wants to do is sleep. But Pip seems to have a different idea as he scoots over and puts his head on Damien's chest. Pip caresses his cheek and breathes against his neck. Damien tilts his head and lazily kisses Pip between the thin brows. Pip looks up and puckers his lips. Though he doesn't really have the strength to, Damien leans over and kisses Pip softly on the lips.

"Stay with me forever," Pip says quietly.

"For all eternity," Damien responds with a grin. "You're going to Hell."

"Oh my… that is certainly true, is it not?" Pip giggles.

"You know, you're sounding a lot more British-y than usual," Damien says. "Your accent is stronger too."

"Is it?" Pip tilts his head like a puppy. "I don't think I have noticed it…"

"Yeah, this is how you talk," Damien clears his throat and puts on the best imitation he can. "_Oh my, Damien! Tally ho! I am Pip. I am British. I am most delighted when having tea and crumpets but especially when I am having bum sex, I say!_"

Pip laughs and playfully slaps Damien in the chest. Damien joins him in the laugh and nuzzles Pip's nose. Pip shakes his head and leans on top of Damien, still laughing out of breath.

"I do not sound like that."

"Yes, you do! You just don't hear it," Damien says.

"Is that so, my dear?" Pip pouts and narrows his eyes. Damien nods and Pip shakes his head again. "Well this is how you sound like, Damien. Ahem… _Hey, dude. How's it going? I'm the anti-Christ, man. I got all these shits to do and stuff… oh fuck!_"

"That's just pathetic, Pip," Damien scoffs and rolls his eyes though he is fighting hard not to laugh. "You make for a shitty American."

"And you will be a terrible Englishman," Pip says. "You had more of an Australian accent anyhow."

"Crikey, mate!" Damien barks and Pip breaks out in a laugh.

Damien wraps his arm over Pip's shoulder as the laugh dies down. He plants a kiss on the top of Pip's head before he lets his eyes close from tiredness. He feels Pip nuzzling against him and can feel the calm breathing blowing on his bare chest. He runs his fingers in Pip's hair, using the thickness as a warming device. He hears Pip sighs softly and though he can't see it, he can feel Pip closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. Damien thinks the moment is as close to perfection as it can get. It is only missing one thing…

"I love you, Pip," he whispers.

"And I love you, Damien."

Perfect.

* * *

Damien knocks on the trailer door. The cheap metal rattles the whole mobile home. He listens to Kenny's footstep heading toward the door. The door opens with a squeak and Kenny steps back to let Damien in. The trailer smells the same as it always does. Damien walks over to the small kitchen and takes a seat. He looks at the ice pack on the table and sighs. Kenny takes the seat across from him and picks up the ice pack. He presses it against his swollen eye and stares blankly at Damien.

"Stan did that?" Damien asks. The only thing Kenny told him before asking him to come over is that he got into a fight with Stan.

Kenny nods and puts the ice down. He touches his eye gingerly and winces. Damien winces too once he sees how bad the black eye is. Stan really throws a mean punch thanks to his athletic background. Kenny pushes the pack away from him so the perspiration doesn't drip down the table. He is in a bad mood, Damien can tell. It bothers him because he has never known Kenny to be in a bad mood. Kenny is the one who cheers everyone else up, not the one who needed to be cheered.

"What happened?" he asks.

"Stan kicked Kyle out," Kenny says. He sighs and props his head up with his hand. "He packed all of Kyle's stuffs up and left them on the door. He even changed the lock. That was two weeks ago and now Kyle is living at home but he won't come out of the house. He's skipping school. He won't eat. He sleeps all day. He is really messed up."

"Shit."

"I went to Stan's today and tried to talk some sense into him…"

"Let me guess," Damien interrupts, "he told you to mind your own business but you wouldn't stop talking so he punched you."

"He doesn't understand," Kenny says. "He doesn't see how much Kyle cares about him. That's the thing about Stan. He is so afraid of getting hurt that he would much rather hurt other people than let himself be vulnerable."

"Is this about that French guy?"

"I worked really hard to put them back together after they broke up. Ugh, it's all Eric's fault, really. God, he just doesn't know when to stop messing around." Kenny puts his head down and fists his hand against his forehead. "He said all these things to Stan and Stan bought it."

"The fatass told Stan Kyle wants to fuck the French guy?"

"Close," Kenny says, "he told him they already did."

"Damn," Damien almost laughs. Leave it to Eric Cartman to screw up people's lives. "That's so fucked up."

"Stan is a virgin," Kenny says softly. He shakes his head and groans with frustration.

"Oh." Damien nods. He can understand why Stan is so upset then. "I can't believe he bought the shit Cartman says."

"Eric can be very persuasive and Stan can be so gullible."

"Tough shit," Damien says. He isn't very good at comforting people so he awkwardly puts his hand on Kenny's arm. "You just gotta let them deal with it themselves."

"They can't deal it with themselves," Kenny says. "Stan is too stubborn to realize what an idiot he is and Kyle, god, I'm scared for him."

"What can you do?" Damien shrugs. "They need the time to sort it out and, I hate to say it, but you just gotta let it go. You are too righteous for your own good sometimes and not everyone like that. I mean, c'mon, why else would Stan punch you? You're like one of his best friends. You just need to give them time to think things through."

Kenny palms his head and groans. Damien scoots over and gives him a brief hug. Kenny turns over and smiles weakly. He reaches around and gives Damien a gratuitous pat on the back.

"Thanks, dude. I needed that," Kenny says with a grateful nod. "How're things with Pip?"

"It's good except that Pip's British friend is in town. He is such a douchebag. I can't stand him," Damien growls and rolls his eyes. "He is so fucking annoying and he is always around at the apartment like he lives there. And he is always smiling about some shit. He got this giant bucktooth. It's disgusting."

"Why does it sound to me that you're jealous?" Kenny raises an eyebrow and grins.

"Fuck, no," Damien responds defensively. "Why would I be jealous of him? And don't say it's because I'm worried he'll steal Pip 'cause I'm a hundred times hotter than he is. And Pip loves me, not that bucktooth piece of shit."

"You're jealous Pip has someone to connect with."

"Okay, stop talking or I'll give you another black eye," Damien scoffs and turns away.

Kenny shrugs with a teasing grin. Damien sighs and of course, Kenny is right. Kenny is always right. He can't stand that Pocket shares a past with Pip that he knows nothing of. They always talk about this Estella girl and Damien has no idea who that bitch is. They talk about Liverpool and Yorkshire and Portsmouth and Damien hasn't even heard of those places. Because of Pocket, Damien is actually considering going to England with Pip. Pip would love that, he knows. He knows Pip misses his homeland even if he didn't live there for a long time. He also knows that Pip would love to visit his parents' grave since he hasn't done that for years. And he knows that Pip's accent has gotten heavier since Pocket showed up. He knows there will always be a barrier between them because he isn't British… just like Pip isn't a hell spawn.

"Kenny, I'm thinking of taking a year or two off from school," Damien says.

"No," Kenny says sternly.

"You didn't even let me finish."

"I know what you're thinking. You think you can save money if you quit school," Kenny says dead-on. "But you aren't going to be one of those people who drop out because of their baby. No, you can't. You're going to finish college and you're going to get a real job at Kyle's dad's law firm. You can wait a while before you go to law school because that's what you need to do to if you want to President someday. Money will be tight but it'll be worth it down the line."

"You know me too well," Damien says. "I'm actually kind of freaked out."

"If you really need money," Kenny says, "I can lend you some."

"Kenny, you live in a fucking trailer."

"It doesn't mean I'm not loaded. The trailer is just to throw people off."

Damien laughs and Kenny joins in with a chuckle. Damien shakes his head and sighs. He really wants to afford a good life for Pip and the baby. And to do that, he needs a good job. He also needs to put Pip through college because he will not allow Pip to drop out of college no matter what. He is going to talk to his boss about working full-time during the summer so he can pick up the extra money before the baby arrives. It's only four months away. Damien feels his heart drop at the realization. Four months isn't a lot of time to prepare and they don't even have a crib yet. And where is the baby going to sleep in the one-bedroom apartment? How much will diapers and formula run? What if the baby gets sick and he can't afford the treatment? Damien frowns at all the questions he hasn't even thought about. He isn't ready at all.

"I think I got it handled," Damien lies. He chuckles and says, "Just don't bitch when I ask you to babysit."

"You can pay me with food," Kenny says. "Hey, have you talked to your dad yet?"

"Hell no… I don't think he kn---" His cell phone ringing cuts off his sentence. He fishes it out of his pocket and sees that it's Pip's calling. He looks at Kenny and Kenny knowingly leans away and clasps his mouth shut. Pip doesn't know he is with Kenny. He clears his throat and answers the call. "Hey, Pip, what's up?"

"D-Damien," Pip whimpers painfully. Damien's heart stops beating. He listens to Pip's choked out words, "I-I n-need you. Oh, G-God!"

"Pip? What's wrong?" He stands up and stares at Kenny with wide eyes.

"I-it hurts…" Pip sobs and follows it with a loud scream of pain. He sobs, "Damien, oh god, c-come h-home p-please."

"I'll be right there, Pip. Hang on, I'm coming home," Damien says before he hangs up and runs out the door. He barely notices Kenny chasing after him.

Damien runs through the snowed ground and curses it for hindering his speed. He is in good shape but he can't run too long without going out of breath. It is a good thing that Kenny doesn't live too far from his apartment building. He turns his head a bit and sees Kenny catching up with him. He runs up the steps and fumbles with the keys to unlock the door. Kenny pants heavily next to him.

"Fuck! Fuck!" Damien shouts as his hands shake too hard for him to shove the key into the hole. Kenny bumps him away and takes the key. As soon as Kenny turns the knob, Damien bursts into the apartment screaming, "Pip, Pip!"

Damien finds Pip lying on the floor behind the couch. He hurries over and pulls Pip into his arms. Pip's body is too cold for comfort. The Brit's eyes are swelled with tears and his nose won't stop running. Pip lights up for a moment before his face twists with pain and he screams at the top of his lungs, his fingers digging into Damien's skin while he does.

"God, D-Damien," Pip sobs. "T-the baby, the baby."

"What's wrong with it?" Damien asks. He doesn't give a shit about the baby. He only wants to know why Pip is in so much pain.

"Damien," Kenny says sharply. Damien has almost forgotten he is here.

"What?" Damien follows Kenny's eyes to Pip's belly. It is only then that he notices the blood seeping through the blue shirt. "Fuck," he whispers. He carefully lifts up the shirt over the bump.

"Jesus," Kenny gasps.

Damien gapes at the discolored skin on Pip's belly. It is the color of ash with tiny blue veins popping here and there. Below the belly, there is a deep gush that looks like Pip has been stabbed. But it definitely isn't a stab wound because the skin and the flesh are eroding into bloody pus. Damien can't even understand what's going on. The wound looks kind of like a puncture hole, like something inside of Pip is trying to come outside.

"What's w-wrong with the b-baby?" Pip wails, clutching Damien's arm.

"I don't know, but I'm going to get the doctor here. Just hang on," Damien says. He reaches to pull down Pip's shirt but stops when he sees a small bump moving from the top of the belly to the lower left. He gulps, not quite sure where he is looking at.

"The b-baby is k-kicking," Pip says out of breath. He lets out a loud scream and Damien can see why he is in so much pain. In the middle of the gush on Pip's abdomen, he can see a little grey hand poking out. The baby is trying to get out.

Damien picks Pip off the floor. He knows he needs to act quick because he has no idea what is going to happen if he doesn't. He turns toward the bedroom but the doorbell stops him. He and Kenny both turn toward the front door. Since they didn't close the door when they rushed in, Damien can see Pocket standing with a fruit basket and a cheery smile.

"'allo there, Damien," Pocket greets.

"Get the fuck out of here," Damien says harshly. And Pip chooses the worst moment to scream again. Pocket's expression changes immediately.

"Was that… Pip? Pip, ol' chap, are you alright?" Pocket takes a step into the apartment, dropping the fruit basket on the floor.

"Kenny!" Damien shouts.

"Dude, you need get out of here," Kenny says as he blocks Pocket from entering the place. "Go!"

"What the bloody hell is going on here?" Pocket shrills.

Damien carries Pip into the bedroom, leaving Kenny to deal with Pocket. He puts Pip down on the bed and towers over the anguishing Brit. He strokes Pip's hair, soaked with sweat and tears. He has never seen Pip in such a horrible state before and his heart is just breaking. Pip's grip on his hand is so tight that Damien is certain his blood circulation is being cut off.

"I-is the b-baby going t-to be alright?" Pip whimpers.

"Of course. I won't let anything happen to you or the baby, okay? I'm going to get the doctor now. Stay put. I'll be back," Damien says.

Pip nods his head with another cry. Damien backs away to the door. He can hear Pocket arguing with Kenny in the living room. He takes a long look at Pip, tossing his head in pain and clutching the bed cover with both fists. The shirt soaks with more blood and Pip's cries just get louder and longer. Damien hasn't summoned the gate to Hell in a long time; he isn't sure if he knows how to do for a moment. But after careful thinking and concentration amidst Pip's screaming and Pocket's shouting, he does manage to rip the floor open. The sulfur from Hell immediately attacks his nostrils and the heat makes his heart pounds.

Pip turns his head and pants heavily. Damien nods his head with reassurance.

"I love you, Damien."

"And I love you, Pip."

Damien jumps into the opening and goes home to Hell for the first time in eight years.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**

* * *

**_Boyue's Note: It's come to my attention that reviews are cut off or not showing at all. So, if it's not too much of a bother, would you lovely people mind PM me your review if it doesn't show up on the page? I really want to know what you think of the chapter and it lowers my morale when I don't get any reviews. T.T _

_Thanks! I appreciate it. =D_

_03.25.09_

_7:01 PM  
_


	8. Home Sweet Home

_Boyue's Note: I have no note!_

* * *

**MATERNAL HEART**

"**The Second Trimester…**

**Home Sweet Home"**

* * *

Hell hasn't changed much since Damien's last visit. He walks through the back alley that he somehow showed up in. He steps into the main street and looks at the apartments and stores around him. Even though everything looks almost the same in Hell, he figures out exactly where he is. He does notice that there are festive lights hooked up between lamp posts, which means his father is planning one of his extravagant parties again. Who would ever think that people would actually like Satan? But everyone loves a good party. He walks across the street and hurries down along the sidewalk. He turns the corner and runs through the gate to an apartment complex. Dr. Ralph has been forced into retirement ever since the people on Earth realize what his job entails. Mortals don't take it too kindly to obstetricians who specialize in unholy pregnancies. And since he can't stay on Earth, where is he supposed to go? Detroit? So while the doctor is enjoying his retirement with Mai-Tai, Damien and Pip are left stranded. There is --- was --- no way Damien would ever step foot in Hell ever again until he dies. But here he is, banging heavily on Dr. Ralph's apartment door and screaming at the top of his lung. He has forgotten that his demonic power gets amplified in Hell. The walls and the water in the pool are vibrating from the sound of his voice alone.

"Master Damien," Dr. Ralph greets with a surprised smile. "What a pleasant surprise."

"You are coming with me now," Damien hisses, grabbing the doctor by the collar. "Pip is in deep shit. The baby is trying to come out, I think. I don't know. You need to go."

"Okay, okay, let me get my pants." Dr. Ralph shakes off Damien's hold and turns around back inside the apartment. "Now, where are my pants…. Where… where…"

"Hurry the fuck up!" Damien shouts. "Pip is dying up there!"

The building shakes like there is an earthquake. Damien tries his best to calm his nerves. He shuts his mouth and closes his eyes, listening to the doctor calling for his pants to show up. He grits his teeth and blinks his eyes open. He sees Dr. Ralph walking around without any luck. This bastard is really testing his patience. He is about to say something but he shudders suddenly. A strange presence looms behind him and Damien feels goose bumps forming on his skin. And there is only person who can do that to him. Damien turns around and slowly lets out a sigh.

"Damien, you're home," Satan says with a happy smile. "I missed you so much, son."

Damien eyes his father. Satan hasn't changed much either. Still big and red and a giant pussy. In fact, the almighty Lord of the Underworld is tearing up right now. Damien groans and turns his head sideway; he doesn't need to see his dad crying. He already doesn't respect the man enough as it is. Satan walks forward and opens his arms to receive his son with a hug. Damien raises an eyebrow and almost laughs at the pathetic attempt. He crosses his arms over his chest and huffs. He lifts his head up and casts his eyes down on his father. Yeah, he is an ungrateful brat, but so what? He can't hold love for a man who repeatedly tried to break him up with his boyfriend. Pip is the love of his life – yet Satan can't understand that. It's not fair, really. He has to put up with Satan's crazy lovers. Saddam was a menace to his sanity. That Chris guy was alright but a bore. A short while before he left home for good, Satan found that his lover – what was his name? Mr. Cap? No, Mr. Hat. Yes, Satan finds out that Mr. Hat was cheating on him with a stick. Long story short, Satan cried for three days straight and the thirteen-year-old Damien was expected to comfort his father and run Hell at the same time. What bullshit is that! He has to do all everything for his father but he can't even have Pip?

"Oh, no, I understand," Satan says and takes a step back. "You're still upset about the whole thing. I-I understand. But I'm so happy you're here…"

"Look," Damien says with a roll of his eyes, "I'm here on a business run. In fact, I'm just about to leave. So if you'll get out of the way, I gotta go."

"B-but you just got here… Oh, please, Damien, I want us to be a family again."

"I don't," Damien says. He turns his head and watches Dr. Ralph come out of the apartment still without pants on. He shrugs it off. "Let's go already."

"Hello there, Master!" Dr. Ralph greets with a wave of his hand.

"Where are you two going?" Satan asks with a frown.

"Nowhere," Damien says. He grabs Dr. Ralph by the arm and leads him away.

"I'm just running up to Earth to check up on Master Damien's baby," Dr. Ralph shouts.

"You fucking retard!" Damien shouts. He lets go of the doctor's arm and fights the urge to smack his head off. Besides, he doesn't have time to do it as Satan has popped up in front of them. The mood has shifted entirely. Satan's happy expression is replaced with a deep-set frown. His lips snarl upward with anger and his eyes flame red.

"You have a child?" Satan asks in a low voice. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm not obligated to tell you everything," Damien responds with a snare. He turns to Dr. Ralph and barks, "Get up there! If something happens to Pip, I'm going to have your head."

"Pip!?" Satan shouts. "You have a baby with _him_!? How is that…. Oh no, Damien, no…"

Damien sends the doctor a sharp glance and finally the doctor gets a move on. He makes sure Dr. Ralph is out of sight and hopefully up on Earth before he turns his eyes on his glooming father. His father is generally a mellow man but when he gets pissed off, he gets pissed off. And there have only been a few rare occasions when Damien has seen his dad in anger. Heck, Satan wasn't even this angry when he caught Damien packing up to leave Hell. So, Damien can't help but feels like a kid again. He lowers his shoulders and shrinks his chest in. He avoids eye contact with his dad and keeps his eyes on the ground. Granted, it was probably a really bad idea not to tell his dad that he is going to be a grandfather. But hey, circumstances weren't so good for them.

"You…! I can't' believe you, Damien! This is… This is terrible! This is just terrible!"

"Pip and I are going to be great parents," Damien says and for the first time, he actually believes it. "So you don't have to worry about a thing. We aren't going to leech off you."

"That's not it…" Satan pinches his nose ridge and shakes his head with frustration. He turns around and waves for Damien to follow him. "We'll talk in a quieter place… this is just…"

Though Damien would much rather go home to Pip, he follows his dad out of the apartment complex and around Hell until they stop next to the fire pond in the park. Satan takes a seat on the bench by the pond and Damien does the same. He scoots to the edge so there is some distance between his body and his dad's large one. He can't help but notices that his dad smells like jasmine. Shit, what the hell is the Prince of Darkness doing smelling like flowers? Just like all parents in the world, Satan is kind of embarrassing. Damien shifts his feet and waits for his dad to speak.

"I always come here when I'm feeling down," Satan says.

"Yeah, I know. You used to take me here with you," Damien responds. He has to admit he kind of misses wasting time with his dad. But he has Pip now and life is better with Pip. "So… what is it? What's so horrible about me being a dad?"

"For one, you're only 21," Satan says. "And… is the baby born yet?"

"No, Pip's five month along."

"Damien, I'm sorry," Satan whispers. "I should've told you earlier but I didn't think you would have a kid so soon and all the other things happened… I wish I had told you…"

"What is it? Just spill it." Patience isn't one of the virtues Damien has.

"You cannot have a child."

"Well… obviously I'm having one," Damien says with a confused frown. He laughs and says, "It's kind of too late to not have one now."

"You don't understand. You can't have an offspring. Your child will inherit your power and your role. He will become the new anti-Christ."

"Oh…" Damien gulps. He frowns again, not quite understanding what it means exactly.

"There can only be one true anti-Christ at a time," Satan explains. "Do you understand me, Damien?"

"Only one… true one? So… wait… no… what does that mean?"

"You and your son will both have the power as the anti-Christ but only one of you can exist," Satan says slowly. With each word, Damien's eyes widen. "The law of the universe dictates that the new will always be stronger than the old. You will battle for the throne and…" Satan takes a breath before he says, "Damien, your son will kill you."

A breathless "No" is all Damien manages to say.

"There is always a chance, though very unlikely, that you will defeat him and continue your role. But of course that would mean---"

"I will kill my own son." Damien snaps his head up to face his dad. That's just impossible. There is no way he will ever hurt his child, however annoying the child may be. Plus, Pip will have his head if he does any harm to the baby. And yet, he can't shake the feelings that his son won't feel the same. He meets his dad's eyes and tries to think. He shakes his head and laughs, "You are a fucking asshole. That's not funny. Ha, you know, Dad, you were never good at telling jokes but you always had me there for a second…"

"I would never lie about something like this, son. It's the truth."

"Fuck! I-I… No, that can't be true."

"I know it's hard to accept."

"No, fuck! Hard to accept? No, I won't fucking accept it! That's bullshit! Bullshit!" Damien stomps his feet and unwittingly unleashes two waves of flame into the unsuspecting fire pond in front of him. He turns to his father and grits his teeth. "Why didn't you tell me before? Fuck you! You planned this, didn't you? You hate Pip so you want to take away the one thing he ever wants! You fucking prick! I fucking hate you!"

But all his dad does is sit there and looks at him with the most sincere eyes. And Damien knows his dad isn't lying at all. He slumps against the bench and throws his arm over his eyes. What is he supposed to do now?

"It's best to… get rid of the baby while you can," Satan suggests. "Once he's birthed, he'll grow with strength and it'll be harder for you to deal with him."

"He's going to be that powerful?" Damien asks.

"He'll have the ultimate weapon against you."

"What?"

"He'll have your love. I know you, Damien, you won't have the heart to hurt your child. So you'll push it back and push it back until the final day comes…" Satan puts a hand on Damien's shoulder and says, "Do it now while the emotional attachment is still weak. If you can't, I w---"

"No, it's my son. I'll deal with him myself. Don't you dare interfere. I can handle this…"

"I'm so sorry," Satan says. "It would've been nice to be a grandfather."

"Yeah," Damien nods. "I-I have to go… now. I have to go. Pip is waiting. Yeah, I'm going to go now."

"Come back to see me soon, please," Satan says with a squeeze to Damien's shoulder.

Damien stands up and wobbles his way away from the bench. He runs his fingers through his hair because it seems like the right thing to do. He isn't sure if there is even a right thing to do anymore. He walks along the street until he arrives at the entrance of Hell. His mind is completely blank. He can't even think about where he is walking to or why he is walking there or why does his chest hurt so much and what is that watery thing crawling down his cheeks? He blinks up at the roof of Hell and gets in line to the portal that will beam him back to Earth. Nothing goes through his mind. Not even the angry guy yelling at him for line-jumping. Damien pulls his chest in and waits until it is his turn. Why is he waiting in line when he can make a portal himself is beyond him now. He just stands in line and waits until it's his turn to hop into the silvery portal and returns to South Park.

* * *

Damien treads through the snow with his shoes, stomping extra hard to leave his footprints. The portal has sent him to the other side of town and he has to make his way back to his apartment. He should be more eager to see Pip but he can't get his body to move faster. In fact, he thinks he is actually trying to avoid seeing Pip. What a crazy day it's been. To think he would actually avoid Pip? Wow. He tucks his hands into his jeans pocket and walks as average as he can. It's cold outside, as usual, but he can't really feel the cold. Sometimes he wonders why he stays in South Park. He and Pip can easily move out to Denver or something nicer. But South Park is a simple town and maybe the simplicity is good for someone like Damien. God knows his life is messed up as it is. It's nice to walk through the streets without someone bothering him.

He walks through the gate of his complex and eyes the police car parked on the street with suspicion. The South Park police are mediocre at best and he wonders who would actually call the cops. He walks up the stairs and stands outside his apartment. Today just can't get any better, can it! He walks in and blinks his eyes at the one cop standing in his living room and the legs of another cop in the hallway. He turns his eyes to Pocket in the kitchen and really has to fight hard to repress the fire building up in his veins.

"Sir, I'm telling you one last time: Step away from the door," the hidden officer says.

"No." It's Kenny. "I'm sorry, Officer, but you can't go in."

And Pip sounds a loud scream that snaps Damien out of his trance. He can't give a shit about all the other things. Pip needs him. That's what matters. He steps into his home and shoves past the alert officer that tried to stop him. He walks into the hallway and stares at the cop pointing a gun at Kenny's head.

"What the fuck is going on here?" he shouts.

"That's him, gentlemen!" Pocket says from the kitchen. "He is the culprit."

"Step back, Sir," the officer barks at him. "Put your hands where I can see them."

"Get out of my house," Damien responds, raising his hand. A burst of flame ignites at the tip and rapidly grows into a fireball. "Don't make me repeat myself."

"Damien, don't," Kenny whispers. It is then Damien really notices that Kenny is sitting on the floor and that there is a trail of blood dripping down his forehead.

"Motherfuckers," Damien mumbles before the officer in front of him bursts into flame. He walks into the living room and hurls a ball at the other officer. Pocket screams and along with the anguish officers, they all run out of the apartment. He watches Pocket running into the streets and the officers rolling on the ground. He slams his door and makes sure to lock it before he hurries back to Kenny.

"What the hell, man?" Kenny scolds. "You weren't supposed to."

"Shut up," Damien hisses. He pushes up Kenny's moist hair and winces at the open cut below the hair line. "Did they do that?"

"I tried to stop them from going in… there were some struggles but I'm fine," Kenny says with a shrug and a grin.

Damien sighs. He pulls Kenny into a rough hug and squeezes the life out of the blonde. He buries his nose and mouth in Kenny's thick hair, noticing the greasy scent and making a mental note to get Kenny a nice bath basket. Kenny has done so much for him. He can't believe Kenny actually fought against the cops to keep Pip safe. He has to tell Pip about that. Kenny deserves Pip's friendship. He wants the two most important blondes of his life to get along. He also makes a mental note to shred Pocket into pieces and feeds them to Cerbby next time he goes back to Hell.

"I love you, man," he mumbles into Kenny's hair. "Thank you."

"Yeah… I…" Kenny pulls away. "Go see Pip already."

Damien nods and stands up. He steps through Kenny and opens the door. He walks into the bedroom and a chill runs down his spine. He has hung out with some evil people in his life but he has never sensed something so… _bad_. He shudders and knows that it's coming from the baby. What a creature he is dealing with… He is actually kind of scared. He looks at Pip and never thought he would have to see his lover tied down to the bed again. Pip's whimpers and moans fill his ears and his heart with pain. He looks at Dr. Ralph examining Pip's stomach and walks to his side.

"What's going on with the baby?" he asks. He looks at the grey bump and the gush that has gotten wider.

"Well, it seems the baby is ready to be born."

"No, that's not right! He is only five months."

"A demonic pregnancy usually matures faster than a normal one," Dr. Ralph explains.

"You didn't tell us that," Damien chides. "We can't have the baby yet! We aren't ready."

"But the baby sure is, Master Damien."

"Stop it. Make it go back inside Pip or something. Delay it. Hurry!"

"Oh, that's not good for the baby," Dr. Ralph wiggles his finger at Damien. Damien grabs it and twists it backward. "Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, okay, I understand. Let go now, please. I need my finger to work."

Dr. Ralph takes a balm out from his breast pocket. He smears it over Pip's eroding flesh and the wound heals up almost instantly. Damien frowns at the baby poking at Pip's stomach, stretching the skin. The doctor reaches for his pants pocket but realizes he isn't wearing them. He digs into the pockets of his coat and searches around. Damien takes the time to walk over to Pip and wipes the heavy sweat off Pip's face. He can't stand to see Pip in so much pain. It's killing him. He brushes the sticky hair away from Pip's forehead and plants a soft kiss.

"You're going to be okay, Pip," he whispers. He plants another kiss and repeats, "You're going to be okay…"

"Ah-ha! Found it," Dr. Ralph exclaims, holding up a medicine bag with some kind of grounded grass inside. He opens the bag and shakes out a small portion onto his palm. "This will do the trick. I need you to open Master Pip's mouth."

Damien eyes the herb. He grips Pip's jaw and pulls his mouth open. The doctor sprinkles the herb in and Damien closes Pip's mouth. Pip swallows the herb and whines, tossing his head and spitting chalky saliva out.

"What is that?"

"This is an herb that will seal the baby's power and keep it dominant," the doctor explains. He shakes the bag and measures it. "This got… oh, about two to three months supply. Feed it to him once a day. But let me warn you, Master Damien. The longer the baby stays in, the more dangerous it will be for both of them."

"In what kind of way?" Damien asks, taking the bag in hand.

"The herb won't be effective immediately or all the time. The baby will most likely try to find another way out. In that case, it's very likely that it will take over Master Pip."

"Possession?"

"Yes, exactly. And as you surely know, the more times a person is possessed by a demonic entity, the less likely the person will return to his formal self. In other words, it's possible that your child will take over Master Pip completely. My professional advice, and personal as I trust we have become quite friendly with each other, is to take the baby as soon as possible… to avoid any unwanted troubles."

"Great," Damien says with a nod. Just fucking great. He smacks himself in the forehead. He shouldn't have given in to Pip. He knows the baby is going to be troubles. He rubs his temple and asks, "Is it too late to abort the baby?"

"Of course. It has fully matured. It's much too late to terminate the pregnancy now." Dr. Ralph frowns and scratches his scrotums. "Best get started on preparing for the baby's arrival, Master Damien. Oh, what a joy this little one will be for you."

"Get out of my face," Damien orders. Dr. Ralph presses his lips shut and walks out of the room.

Damien walks to the bedposts and unties Pip. Pip is quiet now. It even looks like he is sleeping. He loves watching Pip sleep. Pip has such an angelic face even if it's slobbered with sweat, tears, and snots. Kenny walks in and helps with the ropes. He has stuck a Bandaid to his forehead. He looks up at Damien and reaches over the bed.

"You okay, Damien?"

"… No… I don't think I'm ever going to be okay."

"What happened? Did something happen to Pip…?"

"It's a long story."

Damien grabs a tissue from the nightstand and cleans Pip's face as much as he can. He kisses Pip on the lips and buries his face between his neck and his shoulder. He stands up straight and pulls the sheet over Pip so his darling Brit can get some good rest. He walks out with Kenny and takes a seat on the couch. Kenny sits next to him with a concerned look. Damien takes a deep breath and tells Kenny everything.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**

* * *

**_Boyue's Note: Please PM me your review if it doesn't show up on the page. I really want to know what you think of the chapter and it lowers my morale when I don't get any reviews. T.T_

_Thank you. =D_

_04.03.09_

_4:06 PM_


	9. Without A Plan

_Boyue's Note: This one is for Sydness and Biju! I'M SORRY! _

* * *

**MATERNAL HEART**

"**The Third Trimester…**

**Without A Plan"**

* * *

Damien and Kenny sit on the couch for a good while – a long while without making a sound to each other. In the moment of silence, they can hear Pip's faint whines coming from the bedroom. Kenny's hands are clasped loosely over his laps; his lips purse tightly like someone has glued his mouth shut. Damien has a different expression. He stares blankly at his reflection off the television screen. The black silhouette stares back at him, silently pressing him to make up his mind.

What in the name of all that is unholy is he going to do?

He has just found out that his baby is, more or less, pure evil and will kill him sometime in the future. The logical choice would naturally be to get rid of the baby but Damien can't do that; he can't break Pip's heart like that. And he doesn't have the time to dilly-dally around. The baby has to come out or Pip will be in danger. What a hand he's been dealt with. The anti-Christ has seen his shares of messed-up shits in his life… but nothing so horrible.

He looks over and studies the thoughtful expression on Kenny's face. He knows his friend well enough to know that Kenny is formulating something helpful. Kenny shifts his body and turns his head. They look at each other for a few seconds. Damien eagerly waits for Kenny to propose a plan to solve the problem.

Sadly, the words that come out of Kenny's mouth are: "That's fucked-up."

"I know that's fucked-up," Damien hisses, throwing his hand in the air, "you don't have to fucking tell me."

"What are you going to do?"

"Um." Damien rolls his eyes. "If I knew that, I won't be sitting here, wasting my time with you."

Kenny scoffs and turns his head away, and that makes Damien feel a little bad. He sighs and gently pushes his knee against Kenny's. Kenny looks up with a lick of his lips and shrugs his shoulders slightly.

"I…" Damien starts and snorts at himself. He can't believe he is actually going all faggy on Kenny. Maybe he has spent too much time with Pip. "I could really use… some help and you're the only one I've got. So please… help me because I have no idea what the fuck I am going to do."

He watches Kenny's brows furrowed and knows that he is definitely cooking up something good. Kenny scoots over and places his hand on Damien's knee and somehow that makes Damien swallows really hard, like he is trying to stop something from coming up his throat.

"You should," Kenny says slowly, giving little squeezes to Damien's knee, "you should find out all you can about this 'second anti-Christ' thing before you make any definitive conclusion. Maybe there is a loophole in the rulebook. There could very well be something you can do to stop this whole thing from happening."

"What if there isn't?" Damien narrows his eyes. His voice comes out softer than he intended. "What if this is it?"

"If I know anything about the universe, it's that there is always a way."

As much as Damien wishes to believe the smile on Kenny's face, his own lips turn downward. He feels like burning something up. Maybe he should drop by Eric Cartman's house for a surprise visit. Kenny gives his knee a pat and flashes a supportive grin. Damien's only response is to sigh through his nose. Call him pessimistic, but he just can't see a way out of it. Because if he knows anything about the universe, it's that it's always looking for a way to fuck people over.

"Everything's going to be fine," Kenny says. "Believe in yourself and Pip. You'll make it."

"Ha," Damien scoffs, "that sounds like a line out of a bad script."

"It's a classic," Kenny responds with a wink. He stands up and walks around the couch until he is behind Damien. He pats Damien on the shoulder and says, "I'll let you get cracking."

"Thanks, Kenny." Damien turns his head upward and finally shows a smile, however pathetic it is.

Kenny nods and shows himself out after he gives Damien one last squeeze on the shoulder. Damien leans back against the couch and closes his eyes. As soon as Kenny leaves the apartment, all the despair and uncertainty rush back into his chest. He pinches his nose bridge and winces. He blinks when he hears Pip calling his name softly. But he doesn't move an inch. He only turns his head toward the direction of the bedroom and listens quietly to Pip repeating his name over and over.

And a horrible thought runs through his head.

"Fuck."

* * *

Damien is quickly becoming accustomed to feeling like shit every day. For last month, he has spent every waking moment looking for some loopholes as Kenny has suggested. And he has come up empty. Every book he finds pretty much tells him that he is fucked; completely-utterly-without-a-doubt-fucked. There is no miracle way to get out of it. Two anti-Christs cannot exist at the same time. Simple as that. Coming back from Hell today, Damien has decided to give up.

He shoves the key into the apartment door and nudges the door open. And he can't believe what he is seeing. To the untrained eyes, it looks like they have been robbed. But to Damien, he knows damn well what the hell is happening.

All the cupboards and drawers in the kitchen are wide open and their contents scatter all over the place. A few dishes lie shattered on the floor while pairs of knives and spoons levitate in the air, circling to a soundless tune. The breakfast table and its chairs rock back and forth. The fridge door opens and closes on its own; the light flashes on and off, on and off. The faucet runs and overflows the sink; the water form little puddle that move as they will.

Damien scans the living room and sees Pip sitting on the couch with his back turned to him. He notices the end of Pip's messy ponytail is floating upward, like someone is pulling his hair. He also notices how perfectly still Pip is sitting. Not to mention how quiet he is. His little British lover would usually greet him with a warm hug and gentle kisses as soon as he comes through the door. But Pip stays seated with a stiff back, not moving an inch or making a reaction even as Damien comes closer.

Fuck. This is bad.

"Pip?" Damien calls, walking around to the couch.

Pip's eyes lock to the wall like a lifeless mannequin. His breathing is steady but shallow. With each breath, the bump in his belly raises and falls like a balloon can't be inflated. Damien puts his hand on Pip's cheek and frowns when he notices how hot Pip's body is. Lately, Pip's been acting more weird than usual. The mood swings are gone; now all Pip express is a stoic emptiness. Damien is actually missing the days when Pip was throwing the toaster at him. At least moody Pip was interesting.

But whatever it is happening right now is worse than anything Damien has experienced.

"Pip," he says, rubbing the Brit's cheek, "c'mon…"

The herbs that Doctor Ralph gave him must be fucking Pip up bad. But it is all he has to keep the baby's demonic power under control. Or at least, the herbs used to. Judging from the state of his apartment, Damien concludes that he is running out of time.

He turns Pip's head over so he can get a better look. Pip's cheeks flush like he has a fever along with his body temperature. Pip gives him a dull look. He blinks and in a flash of a moment, his sapphire eyes glow red like blood. Then a snarky smile appears on his lips.

"Hello Father," Pip drawls.

Damien takes a hurried step back. He hisses at the wide smile on Pip's face. He clutches his fists and fights the urge to punch Pip. It wasn't Pip's fault – it's the goddamned baby!

"Get the fuck out!" he shouts. "Leave Pip alone!"

And as quickly as the change has happened, it is gone. Pip blinks; his eyes return normal and his expression softens. He stares blankly ahead of him for a moment before he turns his head to Damien.

"O-oh! Damien, you are home! When did you get back? I have missed you so," Pip chirps. He stands up and moves toward Damien for a hug.

"You… feeling alright, Pip?" Damien asks, putting his arms around Pip's bulky frame.

"Oh, I feel quite alright. A little tired, but that's about all. That's why I was taking a nap." Pip smiles and puts his hands on Damien's cheeks. "But my dear, you look dreadful. Hard day at work?"

"No, no, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Pip, you sure you are okay?"

"Y-yes, quite dandy," Pip says with a frown, but otherwise, he appears as normal. But as soon as he catches a glimpse of the kitchen, he gasps, throwing his hand over his mouth, "Oh my! What happened here?!"

Damien could tell the truth and tell Pip that their evil baby did it, but he chooses to lie instead. He rubs Pip's shoulders, hating that Pip is trembling a bit. The Brit leans toward him with his hands on clutching on his shoulders and Damien welcomes him into his arms.

"An earthquake," Damien says, holding Pip in his embrace.

"Earthquake? I didn't know we had earthquakes in South Park. Oh, how terrible! I certainly hope no one is hurt!"

Damien shrugs and pulls Pip closer toward him. He feels the belly bumped against his stomach and growls under his breath when he feels the baby kicking. Pip rests his chin on Damien's shoulders and sighs deeply.

"Oh, the quake must have frightened the baby," Pip mumbles, "he is kicking very hard right now."

"Stupid kid," Damien scowls.

"Damien, I know you don't mean it," Pip pouts, wiggling his finger.

Damien laughs and nods his head. In his mind, he wishes… If only Pip knows the truth.

* * *

Time is up.

Damien is convinced he has lost the game. So he is feeling a bit – well, correction – he is feeling very very down. And when he is feeling down, he likes to do something impulsive. He strolls back into the apartment and breathes a sigh of relief when he sees nothing out of the ordinary – no floating forks or packages of ham running wild.

Pip is sitting by the kitchen table, gluing something together. The Brit flashes a bright grin as Damien comes closer. Damien looks at the project on the table and bits his lips. Pip is making a door sign for the nursery, even though they don't actually have a room designated as the baby's room yet.

"Cute sign," Damien says, eying the baby blue and yellow block letters.

"Thank you, dear," Pip answers with a smile. "I have to finish gluing them on the block and I'll be done."

"Take a break. Sniffing glue isn't good for you."

Pip looks up and purses his lips together, wordlessly telling Damien that he wants to keep going. Damien grabs the other chair and pulls it close so he can sit next to Pip. He takes Pip's hands – both of them – and hold them tight. Pip nods and smiles with a small frown.

"You seem worried," Pip comments. "Is something the matter?"

Damien shakes his head. If he speaks, he is afraid he'll say the wrong thing. But Pip knows him so well that he can see right through him. The blonde gasps and squeezes Damien's hands back.

"I-If there is something the matter with the baby," Pip asks, "you will tell me, yes?"

"Why would you think that?"

"I… Lately, he is somewhat…"

"What?" Damien perks up, tightening his hold on Pip's hands. "What's the baby doing?"

"Oh, it's difficult to explain, I'm afraid," Pip says, lowering his eyes. "I have been having bad dreams. Just terrible dreams… I can't say what is happening in them, only they leave me with such chills and fear."

Damien runs his hand up to Pip's hair. Pip can really use a hair cut but he hasn't really wanted to leave the house for a while now, and Damien isn't about to cut Pip's hair himself. He leans in and plants a quick kiss on Pip's flushed cheek, noticing again that Pip's body temperature is hotter than normal.

"They are just dreams," Damien says, "they mean nothing."

"Y-yes, you are right." And still, the look of nervousness lingers on Pip's face.

Damien realizes he has to switch the subject to something happier. Plus, there is something important he needs to tell Pip.

"Guess what I did today?" He smiles and says, "I went to see my dad. We had a really nice talk."

"How lovely," Pip chuckles. "I'm awfully happy you're getting along better with your father."

Damien decides not to tell Pip that his dad still kind-of hates Pip a lot, and that the majority of their talk involves Satan trying to convince him to get rid of the baby. He nods, faking a smile, and squeezes Pip's hands.

"Then," he goes on, "I went to see your parents."

Pip's jaw drops, and Damien feels him trembled.

"M-my parents…?"

"Yeah, I told them about the baby."

"Oh!"

"They are really excited."

"Oh! I-I…" Pip gasps, his lips quivering with what Damien hopes is joy. "T-that's… wonderful! That is so wonderful…"

"Isn't it?" Damien laughs and brings his hand to rub Pip's cheeks, which are starting to flush redder than before. "But the real reason I went to see your parents…"

"Y-yes?"

"... is so I can ask them permission to do this."

Damien could've laughed at himself silly for getting off the chair and getting down on his knee if he isn't completely serious. Hell, he is having a hard time believing he is _actually_ getting on one knee. But he figures it is what Pip would want, being the romantic sap that he is. And, he is completely right because Pip stops breathing. The bright blue eyes, opened wide, stares at him. Pip's lips quiver and his body trembles so much that even Damien's hands are shaking.

"Phillip Pirrup," Damien whispers, trying his best to be romantic, "will you marry me?"

Pip's initial response is a loud wheeze for air. Then he scrunches his face and lets out a high cry. Damien chuckles. That has to be mean 'yes', right? But all Pip does is nod his head so ferociously that Damien is afraid his neck will break. He pinches Pip's cheek with a grin, wiping away the heavy flow of tears.

"Well?"

"O-oh, dear, y-yes! Yes! Yes! A million yes!"

"Good," Damien says, "now, stop crying. You're supposed to be happy."

"I-I'm terribly sorry," Pip chokes out. He palms his face for a moment and sniffles hard. He takes multiple breathes to refill his lungs, eyes darting upward to dry his tears. When he is ready, he takes hold of Damien's hands and says, "Everything in my life is so perfect because of you."

Damien's reaction is to lean in and captures those delicate soft lips. Pip quickly throws his arms behind Damien's neck and locks their bodies tight. Damien takes a sharp inhale through his nose, not wanting to break from Pip's eager mouth. They kiss and kiss, their fingers raking through each other's hair, their mouths whispering each other's name. Damien doesn't want to let go. If he ends the kiss, the moment is over and he has to go back to facing their reality. But Pip doesn't know that and he pushes away to invite air into his lungs. And though Damien is disappointed and crushed with impending depression, he lets it go. He takes a deep breath.

He can't lie to Pip anymore.

"Listen to me," Damien says, cupping Pip's face with both hands, "no matter what happens, I will always love you."

"And I will too."

"Good. Because there is something I need to tell you."

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

_Boyue's Note: SHITTTTT. I fail so hard. I'm sorry. OTL_

_The next chapter will be the last. D8_

_EDIT: Geeez. FF wouldn't let me upload this chapter for the longest time. D8  
_

_06.25.09_

_1:44 AM  
_


	10. We All Fall Down

_Boyue's Note: Hello, everyone! Thank you very much for your continuous support and reviews. I'm trying my best to pick up this story where I left off, but it has been three years already so there's bound to be some changes in my writing as well as PLOT HOLES. Please bear with me. Onward with Pip's pregnancy! Geronimo!_

* * *

**MATERNAL HEART**

**"The Third Trimester…**

**We All Fall Down"**

* * *

Damien can't do it. He can't tell Pip the truth. He can't look into those bright blue eyes and know that he will take away the happiness and the hope for the future from them. He just can't. He keeps his hands cupped on Pip's cheeks and strokes the hotter-than-normal skin with his fingertips. When he tries to man the fuck up and speak, the words get stuck in his throat, and he's left staring at Pip with an open mouth.

"Love, are you alright?" Pip frowns, leaning forward a bit so that their foreheads are touching. Pip feels like he's running a fever and not realizing it. "You said you need to tell me something?"

Shit. He can't. No, he has to! The fate of the world depends on it! Except that it doesn't. The world will go on with or without Damien the Anti-Christ. He knows he's not that important to the whole Good versus Evil battle. He just inherits the title and is expected to play his part when the time comes. Who knows – maybe his kid will make for a better Anti-Christ. He certainly hasn't set the bar too high.

"Damien? You're looking awful. What's the matter? Please, dear… tell me."

Damien licks his lips and makes up his mind. He slaps on an easy-going smile and holds Pip's face close to him. "Promise you won't be mad?"

"Of course. Yes, I promise I won't be mad. Now please, dear, tell me what's bothering you. I'm awfully worried..."

"Well, I kind of don't have the money right now to buy a ring so you're going to have to wait," Damien says. It isn't what he should have told Pip, but it's also sadly the truth. He really doesn't have the money to afford wedding rings. Hell, he barely has enough money to afford rent because of all the baby shit they needed to get.

Pip leans back with his brows tight in a deep frown. Damien is worried for a moment there that Pip is actually upset about the lack of a ring. He has never known Pip to be the materialistic kind (except for his odd liking to collect antique tea cups), but this is a marriage proposal they're talking about, and he supposes he should've at least gotten something to put on Pip's hand. He remembers that Kenny has offered to lend him money if he should ever need it even though he seriously doubts that Kenny has that much money.

"Is that all this is about then?" Pip asks, still with the frown on his face. He breaks the frown soon enough and lets out a little huff. "You silly, silly man! I don't care for a silly ring if that's what worries you. As long as I have your promise and love, it's enough."

"You sure?" Damien takes one of Pip's hands into his and strokes over the ring finger in long, steady strokes. "Doesn't everyone normally want a ring to show off? You know, haha, I'm in love and getting married and you aren't, loser?"

"I suppose they normally do," Pip chuckles and gives an agreeing nod. He switches his hand so he's interlocking his fingers with Damien. "But, Damien, we have never quite been normal, have we?"

"I guess not." Damien grins and hides the fact that Pip's words have just hit him like a truck. He will never be able to give Pip a normal life. They'll never live in a white picket fence house with daisies and rose bushes on their front yard. They'll never have barbeque in the summer with their friends and neighbors while their respective kids play Tag with each other. Forget about being President one day, he can't even be sure he'll live long enough to get into law school if he doesn't come up with a solution soon. He opens his arms and gathers Pip into his embrace as much as he can in their sitting position and with the baby bump in the way. Pip sighs contently and flutters his eyes close.

"You're all I need," Pip whispers. "You and the baby."

Damien just tucks his chin in and places it on top of Pip's head, inhaling the faint residue of honey shampoo. To an outsider, it might look like a picture perfect moment, but Damien is well aware that the fuse is running out of length and the bomb is about to go off. He squeezes his eyes tight when Pip flinches and lets out a pained whimper. Pip doesn't have to tell him - he knows the baby is kicking. Shit, he practically feels the kick thanks to the demonic energy radiating off Pip's abdomen. He pulls Pip closer and mentally hits himself over and over for not being able to help and protect his darling Brit.

He runs a heavy hand through Pip's tangled hair and tries to undo knots in them. His eyes scan the table and briefly linger on the silver bottle of glue.

* * *

Winter is coming hard and it's coming hard. The temperature has dropped over ten degrees in just two weeks. Snowfall has blanketed the small town in complete whiteness and casts a stillness that's too irritating for comfort.

Damien groans as he rummages through his drawers to find something to wear. He would usually settle for a nice t-shirt but unfortunately Pip has staked claims to a lot of his clothes over the months due to his growing size. They picked up a few things from the maternity store, but Pip mostly prefers to wear Damien's shirt. He says it's because they're worn in and smells like him, and Damien doesn't mind that much except for now when he can't find a damn thing to wear. He lets out a little sigh of victory when he finds an old grey turtleneck tucked beneath the crumpled "I Didn't Ask To Be the Anti-Christ But If The Crown Fits" t-shirt that his dad got him for his eighteenth birthday. Why he hasn't thrown that shirt away or shred it into a million pieces is beyond him, but he does chuckle bitterly when he thinks how much it's reflecting his mood lately.

He dresses quickly and grabs everything he needs before he walks out of the bedroom. It's so fucking cold today that he hasn't wanted to leave his bed, let alone go outside. But it's getting harder and harder to pretend nothing is wrong. He can't keep saying "it's normal" when Pip complains that the baby is kicking too much. He can't keep waking up in the middle of the night and freaking the fuck out when Pip is staring at him with red eyes. He can't keep teasing that it's only Pip's imagination when his tea tastes chalky because of the herb Dr. Ralph prescribed. He can't keep coming up with excuses why objects in the house end up in places they don't belong. He can't keep holding Pip and rocking him back and forth while Pip cries in his arms because he's in so much pain.

At this rate, he doesn't think he can make it before the baby arrives. If driving Damien insane is one of the baby's steps in usurping the Anti-Christ throne, he's gotten give it to the kid – it's working wonderfully.

Damien stops by the bathroom and knocks it twice before he announces, "Pip, I'm going out now. You need anything?"

"Oh, right-o, dear," Pip calls from the other end of the door. "The door is open, by the way!"

Damien twists the knob and steps in to find Pip soaking in the bathtub. The air is stuffy with steam but has a light trace of lavender. Pip smiles warmly at him and reaches out a hand to summon Damien closer. Damien obeys and walks over before he kneels down so he can take Pip's hand. With the warm bath, Pip's skin feels even hotter than it normally is. He brings Pip's hand up to his mouth and gives it a gentle peck. He tries not to look at Pip's naked body beneath the water surface and focuses more how he likes the way Pip's cheeks are flushed and how the moisture makes his lips look extra kissable.

"So anything you need?" Damien asks.

"Oh, no, I'm quite alright, thank you," Pip chirps. "I just wanted to see you before you leave, is all."

"Well, here I am." Damien pulls back a little and presents himself with a playful grin. "Anything else you want to do with me before I leave?"

"I suppose there is one more thing…" Pip leans out of the tub as much as he can and presses his lips tight to Damien's.

Damien smiles when they break the kiss and licks his lips. He will never stop loving the way Pip just tastes so good. It's like he's physically made out of sugar and spice and everything nice. He cups Pip's cheek and pulls him in one more time for another kiss, savoring the sensation and the blissful pretense that shit hasn't gone down. Pip giggles afterward and leans back into the tub.

"Be safe, love," Pip says.

"You too."

The cold air slaps him in the face as soon as he steps outside the apartment. He tucks his neck in like a turtle and hurries his way through the heavy snowfall with his hands deep in his pockets. He crosses the train track and enters the shitty side of town. He jogs the rest of the way to Kenny's trailer, hoping that the movement will bring some feelings back into his extremities. He likes his fingers and toes, thank you very much. He takes a second to refill his lungs with air outside the trailer. Feeling cold and needing air? Wow, he's really gotten used to acting like a human.

"Kenny," he calls out as he knocks on the trailer door. "Open up."

There is the familiar shuffling inside the trailer before the door opens and Kenny shows his face. Damien instantly frowns when he sees that Kenny's only wearing his usual orange parka with a pair of jeans that is definitely too thin for this kind of weather. He makes a mental note that he really needs to take Kenny out one of these days and show him the gratitude that he deserves. He didn't even bring the good beer that he's previously said he'd bring. What a fucking shitty friend he's turning out to be.

"You got here fast," Kenny greets as he steps out of the way to let Damien in. "I didn't even have time to bake us a casserole."

"I wouldn't eat anything you cook if someone pays me a million dollar," Damien scoffs and makes a disgusted face. He shudders at the realization that inside of the trailer is just cold as the outside. He takes a quick look of the small trailer and notices something very important is missing. "Where the fuck is your heater? How are your balls not freezing?"

It takes two tries before Kenny can close the trailer door completely. It helps with the temperature a little but it's still colder than hell inside the metal box. "Oh, Cartman broke his so he borrowed mine. Hey, aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"Borrowed?" Damien's lips curl into a snarl. Eric Cartman does not borrow. Eric Cartman takes what he wants and never thinks twice about the people he's stepping over. Damien wants to scream. On one hand, he can applaud Kenny's giving spirit. On the other, he just wants to punch him in the face for being a push-over. He will never understand what Kenny sees in Cartman. "Are you out of your mind? And my shift starts at 11 so we still have some time."

"It's cool, dude. I don't really care. That old junk wasn't working that well anyway and aww, so sweet of you to take the time out to see me," Kenny says. "I'm flattered." He settles on his bed and wraps his sheets around him. Out of respect for Kenny's dignity, Damien pretends he doesn't see that is a sign that Kenny's cold. Once Kenny's all settled in, he immediately asks, "How's Pip doing?"

"He's the same, I guess. Chirpy, British, possessed by my demonic kid," Damien sighs. He lets out a pathetic chuckle and presses two fingers against his temple. "He's gotten bigger and he's eating more." Getting stronger, he wants to add but ultimately decides against it. The thought of his kid getting more powerful scares him more than he'd like to admit. He knows realistically that it's not like the baby will come after him the moment it's born. But if the baby already possesses this kind of power at a fetal stage, he doesn't think there is a future for him to imagine.

"Whatever happened to telling him the truth?" Kenny asks. He pulls up his hood and pushes some stray hair out of his face. Like Pip, Kenny can really use a haircut as well.

"I couldn't do it. I can't make him choose between me and the baby."

"Uh, Damien," Kenny is using that tone that means Damien is about to get an ass-beating, "you realize that this isn't about you and the baby and whoever gets to be the Anti-Christ, right? It's about Pip. He's the one who's in the most danger right now. You told me what Doctor-What's-His-Face said. The longer the baby stays in Pip, the worse it'll be for him."

"Fuck," Damien breathes out. He won't deny that he tries to push that possibility as far back in his mind as possible. He keeps thinking he can use the herb to control the baby's power and that everything will be okay and he can deal with the baby when it actually arrives. He hasn't wanted to accept the fact that Pip can die before that happens. Well, fuck that shit. If the baby is threatening Pip's life, it has to go. End of story. "I know. Yeah, I know… I just thought…"

"You can't keep postponing this," Kenny says. He reaches over and puts a hand on Damien's knee. "Tell him. Trust me, Pip will know what to do. It's his life and let's face it, he's a lot of smarter than you are."

Damien scoffs at Kenny's little bite at him. He exhales through his mouth. Kenny is right; Kenny is always right. He hates that bastard for always being right. He pats Kenny's hand lightly, frowning at how cold Kenny feels, before Kenny pulls his hand back and hides it under the sheets.

"I'll tell him tonight. I'll get Dr. Ralph up here and we're ending this tonight."

"Good," Kenny says. After a short pause, he asks, "Do you want me to be there?"

Damien chews the inside of his lip and lowers his eyes. If it was up to him, hell yeah he wants Kenny to be there. Pip, on the other hand, doesn't even know that Damien is sneaking off to see Kenny right now. Pip is already pissed enough the last time he caught them talking and Damien really doesn't want to know what will happen when that anger is mixed with demonic power. Before he gives a verbal answer, Kenny shrugs and waves him off with his hand.

"Just call if you need me," Kenny suggests instead. He flashes a lopsided grin and says, "Or if you finally feel like taking me out to dinner. Like you promised."

"I'll take you out to dinner if you get your heater back from Cartman."

Kenny rolls his eyes and throws his head back in exasperation. "Let it go, dude. It's just an old piece of junk."

"It's the principle of things," Damien says. "You can't let him keep walking over you like that."

"I'll get the heater back if you get me beer," Kenny says, pointing a finger at Damien, "like you promised."

"I'll get you beer if you get your PSP back."

"Well I would have my PSP back by now if someone who said he'd help me steal it back actually helps me steal it back."

"Okay, fine, let's go now." Damien stands and gestures that he's ready to break into some houses.

"I thought you have work," Kenny says but he's also getting up and breaking out of his sheets like a butterfly out of a cocoon.

"Work can wait," Damien says as dramatically as he can as he heads for the door. "We got shit to steal."

* * *

The apartment smells like brown sugar and cocoa. Damien cautiously pokes his head in and takes a quick survey of the inside. He's still buzzing with adrenaline from breaking into Cartman's house earlier during the day but that can't possibly lead him to walking into the wrong apartment, can it? Last time he checked Pip isn't a baker, and he's pretty sure that demonic possessions don't usually involve gaining a sudden interest in baking. He wanders into the kitchen and smiles, though with some suspicion, at the plates of chocolate chips cookies with macadamia nuts on the counter top with a handwritten note from Pip. He picks up a cookie and nibbles on it while he reads through Pip's cheesy but very Pip-esque "Sweets for my sweet!" message.

"The cookies taste great," Damien calls out though he isn't sure where Pip is in the apartment. It's great that Pip's learning to bake; he's been picking up more hobbies lately now that he's more or less confined at home all day due to the baby. Last week he was knitting a maroon yarn hat for the baby, and the day before, he was trying to learn how to play CLUE properly. Damien thinks any hobby is great really. It keeps Pip occupied doing productive things instead of levitating objects and speaking in tongues.

On cue, Pip comes out from the bedroom with a beaming smile and waddles over to join him in the kitchen. Damien flicks his eyes down to check on the baby bump before he greets Pip with an equally beaming smile and dips his head so Pip can kiss his cheek without having to tiptoe. "Welcome home, dear! I certainly hope the cookies aren't too sweet. It's been so long since I've baked anything."

"They taste amazing, they really do." To prove his point, Damien pops the entire cookie in his mouth and swallows it down quickly before he picks up another one and bites half way into it. "So what's the occasion?"

"Oh, come now, do I need a reason to bake some treats for my fiancé?" Pip pouts his lips for a moment before he breaks into a wide smile. He moves toward the fridge and asks, "Would you like some milk, love?"

Damien nods yes and lets the word "fiancé" wash over him. Sure, he's proposed to Pip but it still hasn't registered in his mind that they are going to be husbands eventually. He still thinks of Pip only in the term of "boyfriend" and "the guy who's carrying my demon child." Not that he's regretting proposing to Pip, but he wonders if he shouldn't have really thought it over before he made that kind of commitment. Pip comes back with two tall glasses of milk and gives him another kiss on the cheek before handing one over. Damien shoves his second cookie in his mouth and chews noisily, while Pip takes a quick sip of his own glass. He picks up a third one and dips it into the milk before he bites it. To Pip, it probably looks like Damien really enjoys the cookies – which is true. But Damien knows that it's a delaying tactic. If his mouth is full, he can't talk. If he can't talk, he doesn't have to tell Pip about the baby. Kenny would be so disappointed in him right now.

Pip watches Damien with a pleased smile and strokes his hand up and down his arm. "Now, now, don't eat too much or you'll spoil your appetite for dinner."

"What's for the dinner?" Damien chews his third cookie. He pauses a little when he feels a burp coming on but forces it back down.

"Oh, see… well, the thing is… oh this is terribly embarrassing." Pip wears a sheepish grin and shrugs his shoulders in. "The cookies took longer than I thought, and I'm afraid I haven't gotten the time to cook tonight… I'm awfully sorry, dear."

"It's no big deal. We'll get take-out. What do you-" Damien pauses again when he feels a rush of nausea hitting him. He frowns and looks at the milk. "Did the milk go bad?"

Pip knits his brows and picks up Damien's glass of milk. He takes a sniff and shakes his head. "I don't think so, dear. What's the matter?"

"I feel sick." Damien backs away from the countertop. He puts his hand over his mouth and retches. Fuck. What the hell is happening? He feels like there is something eating at his insides and he really needs to puke. He can't remember the last time he actually feels like throwing up. And over what? Spoiled milk? He once drank half a bottle of vodka and held it down. He isn't going to throw up over milk. "Really sick," he manages to mutter out.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, dear. Should I call an ambulance?" Pip asks as he hurries over to Damien. But with his size hindering his movement, he doesn't make it over before Damien breaks into a run for the bathroom. "Damien!"

Damien slams his knees into the floor of the bathroom so hard that he's sure they'll bruise in the morning. He lifts the seat cover and towers over the toilet bowl. The next seconds, he's emptying out everything he ate today that hasn't been digested. Food definitely does not taste as good coming back up. His abdomen muscles contract and tries to squeeze out whatever is left in his stomach. He winces, his hands gripping the toilet bowl, and tries to get some air back into him. His eyes are watering a bit from the vomiting so everything he sees is a bit blurred. He leans back and sits down on the floor with one hand holding his abdomen and the other wiping his mouth. He feels Pip's presence behind him and forces his head to turn so he can make sure that Pip's doing okay. At least he knows now that it isn't the milk since Pip doesn't seem to be throwing his guts out. Then what the hell is it that's causing this?

He squeezes his eyes for a split second when a new kind of pain rockets through him. He groans, loud and low, and clasps his hands over his head. He forces his eyes open. He needs to look at Pip. He needs to know that Pip's fine.

"Pip?" He turns around and looks up with dizziness and a burning fire eating him away. The last thing he sees before he loses consciousness is Pip's glowing red eyes, his snarling smile, and the bag of herbs from Dr. Ralph in his hand. "Pip…"

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

_Boyue's Note: Reviews are always welcome and constructive criticism is always needed. Thanks for reading!_

_10.27.12_

_7:15 PM_


	11. Only Human

_Boyue's Note: Thanks for the all the reviews and support! I'm glad that people are still interested after all these years! C:_

_Warning: This chapter contains a character death!_

* * *

**MATERNAL HEART**

**"THE THIRD TRIMESTER…**

**Only Human"**

* * *

Damien hasn't stopped pacing in a circle since he got to Kenny's trailer. With the trailer being so tiny, he's mostly doing laps around the small dining table. Moving around is the only thing that's keeping him from visibly shaking. He feels a different kind of sick to his stomach than when he was throwing up his guts after being drugged. It's hard to find the right words to describe the way he feels, like he's walking in a body that doesn't belong to him. He feels exposed, vulnerable, weak. _Human_. His insides twist into shit thinking about how powerless he is. Fuck, he hopes he doesn't puke again – there is nothing left in his stomach.

"It's been a fucking week," Damien finally says after making the bazillionth circle around the table. "I still haven't gotten my fucking powers back."

With Damien taking up much of the room, Kenny has been forced to take post on his bed. He isn't wrapping himself in his blankets even though their breaths are hanging in the air. He presses his lips into a grim line that says he's both realizing the severity of the situation and is already coming up with a solution. Damien, on the other hand, is more interested in staring daggers at every object in the room and thinking about how delightful it'd be if he could just set everything on fire right now.

"Calm down, Damien," Kenny says.

"I can't fucking calm down. You told me to wait it out, well, I'm fucking waiting and nothing is happening!"

"Excuse me for not understanding how your satanic weed works." Though his words are bitter, there is only concern in Kenny's tone.

"I'm so fucked. Pip's fucked. We're all fucked!" Damien shouts.

"Look, dude. Instead of freaking out, how about you cool your shit and we can put our heads together and see what we can do?"

"We can go to the store and get me a bottle of lube because I'm about to get fucked in the ass!"

"Now you're sounding like Cartman," Kenny jokes. "And I thought you said you're already fucked."

"Stop fucking around," Damien screams – and he's never screamed at Kenny like that before. He briefly wonders how it'll feel to smash his knuckles into Kenny's perfectly shaped nose.

"Just trying to lighten the mood. It's not like any of this could've been prevented if you'd just told Pip to begin with." Kenny shrugs and gives Damien a chiding glance.

Damien ducks under Kenny's look like a kicked puppy. He swallows his breath and licks his chapped lips. He knows it's not fair to take his anger out on Kenny but he really doesn't think he can stay calm when all he wants is to punch a hole in fucking Pluto. He tries to steady his breathing but his heart is jumping all over the place like a squirrel on crack. He stops moving around and takes a seat on one of the chairs. As soon as he settles down, his whole body starts trembling with anxiety.

"I know I messed up," Damien says with his head hung low. "I just want to fix things but I don't know how. I don't know what else I can do. Pip is… He's really bad, really out of it. I'm…" Scared, he wants to say but doesn't. Kenny already knows anyway.

"The herbs – are they still working on Pip?" Kenny asks.

"Barely. It used to work for a week or so, but now I'm lucky if it lasts a day."

"And upping the dosage doesn't work." At Damien's nod, Kenny goes on to ask, "How much more do you have left?"

"I don't know. Maybe eight day's worth? Used to have more but we all know what happened with that."

"Yeah, man. That's why you never keep your stash in a cookie jar," Kenny says and makes a little scoff of a laugh.

Damien wants to laugh along but he can't get his muscles to move the right way to form anything resembling a smile. He digs in the pocket of his jeans and hands the small bag of herbs over to Kenny. Kenny takes the bag and examines the grounded grass.

"Just in case Pip finds my other stashes," Damien says as Kenny opens the bag and takes a sniff.

"I hate to break it to you but this is basil."

"What?"

Kenny dips a finger into the bag and licks the grounded herb. He nods his head before he hands the bag over to Damien. Damien shakes out the herb onto his palm and takes a sniff. The scent of basil fills his nostrils and burns a (metaphorical) hole in his heart. He throws the bag as hard as he can and ends up scattering grounded basil all over Kenny's floor. Kenny eyes the mess and frowns a little.

"Where are your other stashes?" Kenny asks. "He might have gotten to them too."

"That fucking shit," Damien hisses.

Damien slams a fist against the table and finally lets go of his pent-up frustration. He stands up and flips the plastic table over. He then picks up the chair he was sitting on and throws it across the room. It hits the side of the fridge and breaks open the flimsy door. He spots the grounded basil on the floor and stomps all over it like he can snuff out its life. Kenny pushes back a little further on his bed but does nothing to stop Damien's rampage through his home. He only sits in silence and watches Damien scream "FUCK" and kick down another chair, throw a roll of toilet paper, crush an empty beer can, and slam both fists into the wall so hard that the trailer rattles a bit.

Damien pulls back from the wall and ends up sitting on the edge of Kenny's bed. He palms his face and exhales through his mouth, hot breath hanging in the air before it vanishes like it never existed. He mouths a muted apology to Kenny as he slides his hands down until they rest on his chin. There is a sting in his eyes and he smothers it with the heel of his palm before he turns over to face Kenny.

"It's okay," Kenny says before Damien makes a sound.

"No, it's not." Damien gestures to the trailer where it looks like a hurricane has gone through. That, or a very upset anti-Christ without any anti-Christ power and had to resort to throw tantrums like a normal human. "It's not okay."

"We'll figure this out." Kenny puts a hand on Damien's shoulder and gives it a comforting squeeze. "We need to think what we can do with what we got."

"I'm stranded here, Kenny. I can't open a portal to Hell. I can't get Dr. Ralph up here to help. I can't - I can't do anything."

"Except sit here and mope about it, apparently."

Damien gives Kenny a hard look. He's used to Kenny being his voice of reason but he is getting irritated at the almost condescending tone Kenny's been using with him. Who does Kenny think he is anyway? Looking down on him like he's fucking Mr. Perfect who has never made a mistake in his life. Granted, he's sure that Kenny has never erred so hard that it leads to someone's death and maybe ending the world while he's at it. But being flawless isn't one of the perks of being the anti-Christ. Now that he's lost his powers, he can truly blame it on that he's only human.

"Is there something you want to say?" Damien asks, eyes narrowing in a fit of anger. "Say it to my face."

"Ever since this happened, you've done nothing but bitch and moan to me," Kenny says, eyes matching Damien's glare. "Grow up, Damien. And grow some balls for fuck's sake. I can't always fix your problems. You need to learn how to deal with them and solve them yourself."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"You've been coming over here every day because you're too afraid to face Pip alone," Kenny says. He points to his overturn table and continues, "And now you've fucked up my house because you don't know what to do. Here's some fucking news for you: that doesn't help with anything. Instead of acting like a fucking five-year-old who pisses on everything when things don't go his way, how about you use your head for once?"

"How dare you talk to me like that," Damien says. As much as he knows there's some truth to Kenny's words, he has his pride to think of.

"What are you going to do? Cry about it? That's all you seem to be good at lately, anyway," Kenny taunts, lips curling into a condescending grin. "Maybe it's good that you don't get to be the anti-Christ anymore. You certainly don't deserve it and you don't deserve Pip. Guess what, Damien? Congratulations, you fucking killed him!"

As it turns out, it feels pretty fucking amazing to smash Kenny's perfectly shaped nose with his knuckles. Kenny falls flat on his back from the impact of the punch. He doesn't make much of a noise other than the initial yell of surprise and stays still with his hand over his mouth and nose, where blood is seeping through the gaps of his fingers. The adrenaline and the thrill die in Damien as soon as they emerged. He just punched Kenny – the closest thing he has to a best friend. Fuck it, Kenny IS his best friend and he's sure he just ended the only meaningful relationship he had outside of Pip.

"Fuck, Kenny, shit," Damien says and reaches to help Kenny back into a sitting position. He's thankful that Kenny doesn't reject his offer, which also actually makes him feel about a thousand time worse about the punch. "You okay?"

"I ttmmink ummf brmmm my mmose," Kenny mumbles with his hand over his face. He takes his hand away and stares at the blood on his palm. He winces and covers his mouth and nose again.

Damien stumbles off the bed and hurries over to locate the roll of the toilet paper that he threw somewhere earlier. He finds it by the overturn table and grabs it and runs back to Kenny. Kenny takes the tissue and stuffs as much as he can fit in his nose. Damien sits next to him, his hand gripping the toilet paper, and eyes nervously flicking between the reddening tissue and Kenny's soft blue eyes. Kenny breathes short bursts of air out of his mouth.

"I don't know what came over me. You were saying that I killed Pip and I freaked out," Damien says, knowing damn well that he's trying to justify his actions. But there is no justification; he lost his cool and made a huge mistake. "Fuck, did the bleeding stop? Did I really break your nose?"

"Give me a minute," Kenny says with his fingers pinching the ridge of his nose to stop the flow of blood. "It'll stop eventually and no, you didn't really break it. Still hurt like hell though."

Damien sinks into himself but gets the guts to keep eye contact with Kenny. He'd feel better if Kenny cusses him out or punch him back, but instead, Kenny just looks at him with soft eyes that are impossible to read. Kenny pulls out the bloodied tissue and winces again at the collected blood. Damien hands him some more tissues, trying to be as helpful and hoping it'll make up for what he did.

"You have a real anger issue," Kenny says, and Damien relaxes when he detects the hint of teasing in Kenny's voice.

"Yeah, I know. I got it from my mother." God and everyone's mom know he can't possibly have gotten it from Satan.

"Your mother?"

"Yeah, I think she was a jackal or something."

Kenny frowns in a way that says he doesn't know if he should believe Damien or not, and Damien doesn't bother pushing him in any direction. He leaves the bed for a moment to wet a towel in the sink while Kenny pulls out the tissue and continues to breathe out of his mouth. Damien comes back and hands the moist towel for Kenny to clean the blood off his face. Once Kenny has the towel, Damien diligently begins to pick up the furniture and put back them to their original place.

"You don't have to do that," Kenny calls out.

"Yes, I do," Damien says as he pushes the chairs back in. "I have to clean up my mess and fix my own problems, right?"

Damien can hear Kenny laugh then coughs a little when he must have accidentally swallowed blood. He stands next where he slammed his fists into the wall and checks if he did any actual damage. Luckily, he isn't strong enough to leave dents in the metal paneling. He does a double-check to make sure that the trailer is in the same condition as when he entered before he makes his way back over to Kenny on the bed. Kenny's nose has stopped bleeding, and he's cleaned the blood off his face and fingers. The dim bruise on his upper nose and the bloodied tissues are the only physical evidences left. Damien doesn't dare to sit down on the bed and chooses to linger by the edge with his weight shifting between his feet.

"I didn't mean what I said," Kenny speaks first. "About you killing Pip."

"It's true though. All I've done since the day I met him is mess up his life," Damien says with a dip of his head. He quickly perks up, remembering why he was fighting with Kenny in the first place. "But I'm going to fix that. I'm not going to let him die."

"If there's anything I can do, let me know."

"You've done enough for me, Kenny." Damien makes a move that looks like he wants to give Kenny a hug. He doesn't follow through and only asks, "Are you sure you're going to be okay? Your nose, I mean."

"Dude, please, I've been through worse. If I can take a crossbow arrow through my face and bounces back, I can handle your punch."

Damien smiles for the first time in a long time even though he doesn't like the whole idea of Kenny dying and coming back to life. Once he fixes his own life, he makes a mental promise to fix Kenny's. If he can't fix it, the least he can do is take the guy out for dinner and beer and maybe find him someone to go home with. God knows Kenny deserve much more.

"Thanks for everything," Damien says as he heads for the door. "Next time try to teach me a lesson that doesn't end with me punching you."

Kenny just rolls his eyes and gives him the bird before he flops down on his bed and crooks his neck in a way that Damien thinks can't possibly feel good.

* * *

Damien's eyes are burning. He has never read as many books in his life combined than he has been doing for the whole day. The only luck he's had so far is that the library is fairly empty with the exception of the staff and a few students who have nothing better to do than spend their Saturday in a college library. With the emptiness comes a quietness that helps him concentrate on reading. He's a terrible reader and can easily be distracted by the sound of someone's breathing. Also with no one in the library, he can find a corner table to read and not have to see the questioning looks about why he's surrounded by demonology and Satanism books.

He stretches his back with a frustrated yawn and lets his eyes close for a few seconds. He came here thinking that a college library would have more reliable information than the internet. While he isn't completely wrong on that, since he's found a number of books that's given him some insights, he's still sorely disappointed by the information he is represented with. Some of the books need to be seriously updated (demons don't shove pitchforks up sinners' anuses anymore – they have a machine that does it for them now!) Some are just silly (Damien has never heard of demons being expelled by peanut butter.) Some are just downright stereotypical (Damien has never met a demon with a goatee, thank you very much.) But nothing tells him how to get rid of the second anti-Christ. In fact, most of the books here don't even mention a second anti-Christ. He occasionally holds onto the hope that his dad is just trolling him, but he knows in his heart of hearts that Satan won't joke about something like that.

"Oh hello there, Damien."

Damien snaps out of his thought and stares at the person in front of him. Not that he's being rude (though he isn't too happy about being disturbed), but he does have a hard time trying to put a name to the face. The person shifts shyly under his gaze but keeps a sweet smile that can melt the coldest of hearts. He's clutching an armful of books against his chest and Damien's sure that one of them is Fifty Shades of Grey. Damien squints, like that's going to help him remember the name of the boy in school who was always a little odd and bicurious and got treated like shit by his parents and Cartman and has a name that is also a candy.

"Butters?" Damien says, the name sounding foreign to his tongue.

"That's me," Butters greets with a cheerfulness that's rare for South Park these days. Not counting normal-not-possessed Pip, of course. "It's awful good to see ya."

"What are you doing here? I thought you went to school in Hawaii." Or Alaska. Or somewhere that's far away enough from South Park that no one will ever think about him again.

"Ah gee, my parents sent me back because I was being a bad boy in Hawaii," Butters says. Damien mentally groans at the fact that Butters still sounds like he's ten years old. Butters makes an angry face at himself. "I shoulda never bought the blue bed sheets and now I'm grounded for a month."

Damien opens his mouth to say something about how fucking ridiculous Butters' life is, but decides against it. He isn't here to judge and while he isn't remotely close with Butters, he's kind of happy to see a familiar face. Or maybe he feels sorry for Butters that he can't escape South Park after all. Plus he knows that Cartman will be happy that Butters is back for him to abuse and maybe that fat fuck will leave Kenny alone.

"Well, if it means anything, it's good to see you," Damien says. He's exhausted all his civility for the day and turns his eyes back to his books.

"What are you reading?" Butters asks. He takes the seat across from Damien and sets down his books on the table. He rubs his forearm while he peeks at what Damien's reading.

"Just doing some research," Damien says and puts his arm to cover the chapter title that reads DEMONIC POSSESSION.

"Golly, what kind of research?"

"Just stuff. Look, Butters, I'm kind of busy so if you don't mind."

"Oh gee, sorry about that. I didn't mean to bother ya." Butters pulls back and rubs his knuckles together with a lowered head that makes him look much younger than he is.

Damien swallows a sigh at Butters' reaction. What is it about blonds that make him weak in the knees? He scans Butters' books and raises a brow at the The Magic School Bus books. He has no clue why their college stocks them but he really doesn't have the energy to give a fuck. He moves his arm a little so if Butters wanted, he can see what he's been reading. As expected, Butters scoots and steals looks at Damien's books. His mouth drops open into an O. Damien starts to think that it might have been a bad idea to let Butters know what he's reading. Being out of town for so long, Butters might not know what's going on, but there's no guarantee that he won't open his big mouth and let the town know. Especially Cartman. Fuck. Cartman will get it out of Butters in a split second.

Now the question is: is Butters smart enough to figure out what's going on?

Damien slams the books shut and puts a hand over them like that'll keep his secret safe. Butters gives him a wide-eye look and leans back into his chair. They're both quiet for a moment. Nervousness builds up in the pit of Damien's stomach and fills him with the familiar taste of nausea. There's no way Butters can deduce that Pip's possessed by a demonic baby just from the books. No fucking way. No one except for Kenny knows that Pip's pregnant. He's freaking out over nothing.

"Gee, Damien, is someone you know possessed by a demon?" Butters' words fucking stab Damien in the chest.

"No." Damien keeps his face flat and calm. But if Butters is attentive, he'll notice the anxiety dancing in Damien's eyes.

"Oh okay. Because-"

"Because what?" Damien's voice is too loud to be used in a library. He can feel the librarian glaring at him.

"Oh nothing. I was wondering if possession is real is all. My folks was showing me a documentary about a little girl and she was possessed by a demon and she threw up on the priest trying to exorcise her," Butters says. He's rubbing his knuckles together again and goes on, "My dad says that's what happens to kids who don't do their parents' laundry."

"First of all, there wasn't a documentary, it was The Exorcist. It's a movie," Damien says. "Second of all, your parents tell you that you'll get possessed by a demon if you don't do their laundry? What the actual fuck? Are you a fucking moron?"

"Oh golly that's not a nice thing to say."

"Look, demons have more important shit to do than possess kids who don't do laundry," Damien says.

"But if I do get possessed, the priest can get it out of me, right? I'll get grounded if I vomit on a priest," Butters says, his eyes heavy with genuine concern.

Damien doesn't answer. He stares at Butters' baby blue eyes and feel like he's being stabbed again. Only this time, it's the good kind of stabbing. He can't believe he hasn't thought of it – it's so fucking simple! A rush of blood shoots through his entire body and leaves him feeling a renew energy and hope that he hasn't felt in a long while. He stands up immediately and makes a break for the door.

"Oh gee, I don't wanna get grounded," Butters says as he watches Damien leave.

"No running," the librarian calls out.

"Fuck you, lady," Damien shouts back and runs out of the library.

* * *

Damien strokes his fingers through Pip's tangled bangs. A brief smile creeps up his face when Pip stirs under his touch but doesn't wake up. He hasn't seen Pip so at rest since the pregnancy started. Pip's body temperature is still a bit higher than normal, but Damien's willing to pretend that it's because he's bundled beneath a pile of blankets and comforters. Pip breathes out of his nose and makes a little sigh as he lolls his head toward Damien's pillow. Damien pushes Pip's hair up and leaves a trail of kisses from Pip's forehead down to Pip's slightly parted lips. He pulls back and smiles down at how peaceful Pip looks and everything seems okay for a moment before his eyes land on the baby bump. It's grown bigger over the week, but Pip hasn't complained of having more pain. He even once told Damien that maybe he's just gotten used to the pain – a fact that Damien isn't pleased to know.

He lingers a while longer and writes intelligible words on Pip's shoulder with his fingers. He takes in the curve of Pip's neck and remembers what it feels like to bury his nose there and inhale the sweet scent. If all goes according to plan, he's sure he'll be able to do that very soon. He climbs off the bed and circles to the drawers, where he takes out a few lengths of ropes. He pulls off the piles of blankets one by one. Pip stirs a little but doesn't seem to know what's happening. As gently as he can without waking Pip (and he's been such a heavy sleeper lately), he ties Pip's hands and feet to the bed.

He double-checks his work before he bends and gives Pip's forehead another kiss. He walks out of the bedroom and leaves the door open. He stands in the short hallway and looks back in to check on Pip one more time. Once he's sure that Pip's still sound asleep, he steps into the living room and gives a nod to his two houseguests. Father Maxi looks as uncomfortable to be here as Damien feels about having him in his home. He's never been on good terms with Father Maxi, and it's taken Kenny's persuasion to get the priest to agree to come. Kenny, too, looks uncomfortable as he slouches on the couch.

"It's ready," Damien announces but stays in his spot, effectively blocking anyone from entering the bedroom.

Father Maxi stands and dusts imaginary dust off his cassock. The hair on the side of his head has turned grey over the years and there are visible wrinkles and crowfeet on his face. He pushes his glasses up though it hasn't been sliding off his nose. A bible stays close to his chest. As he walks over to Damien, he grips the cross he wears and chants something under his breath that makes Damien's skin crawl. He steps away so Father Maxi can get into the room and might have given Maxi a dirty look along the way. Kenny stays on the couch a little longer before he follows suit. He doesn't go in the bedroom and stays outside the room with Damien.

"Are you sure about this?" Kenny asks in a low whisper.

"Not really but it's worth a shot, isn't it?" Damien says with a shrug that's made of half determination, half crippling doubt. "If it doesn't work, we'll think of another way."

"You're going to have one pissed off baby after your nuts if this doesn't work."

Damien presses his lips together and gives an agreeing nod. Of course he's considered that possibility. He can't expect the baby to take it lying down while his father tries to exorcise him. He's never witnessed an exorcism in person but he's heard stories in Hell and oh boy, is it not fun for the people involved. For the weaker ones, it can take years of therapy before they feel adept to possess another human. Kenny looks into the room for a bit before he looks back at Damien.

"I guess here goes nothing," Kenny says and gives Damien a pat on the shoulder. As he goes to head into the room, Damien pulls him by the arm and keeps him immobile.

"Thanks for coming," Damien says. His squeeze on Kenny's arm doesn't go unnoticed.

"Don't mention it." Kenny grins. He maneuvers so he can put an arm around Damien's shoulder and guides him into the room with him. "What'd you do without me, bro?"

"I hope I never have to find out."

Damien takes a spot near the back of the room. If he knows anything about exorcism, he knows that he probably doesn't want to be caught in the crossfire. Father Maxi has kept his head down in the meantime and is reciting a prayer. When he's done with whatever he was saying, he gestures for Kenny to come over and stands in as his aid. Damien won't deny that it isn't pissing him off that Maxi hasn't made eye contact with him once. He swallows his pride for now, seeing as how he practically had to beg for the priest to come, so he has to play nice until he doesn't need Maxi anymore. Fuck this town for only having one priest – who isn't even that good of a priest for the record.

Damien watches with impatience as Maxi whispers instruction into Kenny's ear, like children whispering gossips on playground. Maxi grips his cross and gives it a kiss before he takes out a bottle of what Damien assumes to be holy water. He blesses himself and Kenny with the holy water before handing the bottle over to Kenny. Kenny takes the bottle and grips it tight in his hand. He looks to Damien and nods, and Damien nods back. Maxi steps forward closer to the bed and clears his throat as he flips open his bible. As Maxi begins to recite the Lord's Prayer, Pip starts to shift on the bed. The movements begin with slow, subtle stirs. As the prayer goes on, and at Maxi's instruction for Kenny to recite along (though Kenny kind of mumbles through most of the words), Pip begins to get noticeably uncomfortable. He tosses on the bed and arches his hips up toward the ceiling.

A haunted groan breaks out of him at Maxi and Kenny's in-time "but deliver us from evil." Pip would've levitated off the bed if he hasn't been tied down by his limbs. He gets up as much as he can with the ropes limiting his movements. His eyes are glowing red. Grey veins pop out and spread like tendrils all over his face. Damien bites his lips when he sees tiny hands pushing up against Pip's baby bump. Maxi skips a beat in his next prayer while Kenny just stares with uneasy eyes, his hands gripping the holy water tighter than ever. It's during that missing beat in Maxi's prayer that Pip finds his way out. He pulls his arms and breaks free from the ropes, letting out a snarl as he does so.

"Shit!" Damien shouts. He looks to Maxi, who seems unable to move. "Maxi! Keep going!"

"Uh, uh, Holy Lord, almighty Father," Maxi chants but keeps stumbling over his words, "everlast – everlasting God and Father of our – our Lord – Jesus Christ!"

Pip levitates off the bed as much as he can with his feet still tied to the bed. He breathes heavily, his chest raising and falling. The end of his hair floats around him like he's standing in zero gravity. He stares down at the three of them with an ocean of lust for destruction in his eyes. Maxi stares back up at Pip with an open mouth. His hands tremble so hard that he drops the bible on the floor.

"Maxi, you piece of shit. Keep going!" Damien shouts again.

Damien's voice draws Pip's attention to him. Pip's red eyes flare with anger before a sly smile slips on his lips. Damien fists his hands and meets Pip's glare with one of his own.

"Hello, Father," Pip says in a voice that's an octave lower than his usual one. "It's so nice to see you."

"Maxi. Do something," Kenny says. He bends down to pick up the bible and shoves it back into Maxi's hands.

"Oh, and what do we have here? I sense a joke coming on," Pip says, "A human, a priest, and a former anti-Christ walk into a bar."

Pip's laugh echoes through the room. The ceiling light flickers to the sound. Kenny nudges Maxi again with the bible while Damien takes cautious steps until he's next to Kenny. He reaches over Kenny and yanks hard on Maxi's elbow.

"Keep going!" Damien says.

"I command you, unclean spirit, whoever you are," Maxi chants in a shaky voice.

Pip lets out a shattering scream. His body goes rigid as he tilts his head so far back that it isn't humanly possible. Kenny breathes out of his mouth and presses the holy water against his chest like it's a shield.

"This is intense," Kenny mumbles to no one in particular.

"Whoever you are, along with your – your onions – minions now attacking this servant – this servant..."

Maxi skips in his prayer again, and Pip immediately snaps his head back so fast that Damien is surprised Pip's neck didn't break. Or maybe it has, but Pip just doesn't feel the pain anymore. Pip makes a hissing snarl. The drawers begin to rattle. Framed pictures of Damien and Pip fly across the room. One of the light bulbs shatters into pieces, dimming the room. Maxi and Kenny both duck from the broken glass while Damien just lifts his arms up to protect himself. Pip laughs again and the lengths of ropes that used to tie his arms slither on the bed like snakes.

"Hell no. Fuck this shit," Maxi says, lifting his cross up as he backs away from Pip. "I'm out."

"What?" Kenny says, eyes going wide.

"You can't fucking leave!" Damien wonders if he can beat someone to death with a bible.

"You're on your own, you demon fuck." Maxi lets the bible drop to the floor again as he makes a break for the door.

"Maxi! You fucking asshole!" Damien makes a grab for the fleeting priest but a photo frame to his face stops him from doing so. He stumbles back from the impact and presses his hand over his cheek. "Shit!"

"There goes my joke," Pip says as he watches Maxi run out of the room.

Pip looks down at his feet still tied to the bed. The ropes burst into hot flame before they incinerate into nothing but fine ashes. Though he's freed, he doesn't move from the spot that he's levitating. Kenny backs into Damien, partially shielding him while still holding the bottle of holy water against his chest. Damien hisses at the numbness on his face and grits his teeth. So his plan to exorcise the baby has failed. He makes a mental note to beat the shit out of that fucking useless priest when he gets out of this. He can hear Kenny panting next to him and feels incredibly bad that he's dragged Kenny into another one of his messes. And here he was hoping to start anew and start wiping his own ass.

"Told you he'd be pissed off," Kenny says and gives a quick look back at Damien. He flinches when the bedroom door slams shut with a bang that shakes the whole apartment.

Pip looks down at Kenny with a stare that chills even Damien's spine. He stays hovering above the bed as he tilts his head a little in a chiding manner. "Now, now, Father, you know Papa Pip doesn't like it when you hang about this man," Pip says as he shakes a finger. "He'll be so upset if he finds out."

Damien steps out from behind Kenny and stands by his side. He hears Kenny's breath hitch in his throat. He looks to Kenny then down to the bottle of holy water. When he meets Kenny's eyes, Kenny gives him an understanding nod. They both know what they need to do; Damien only needs to make a long enough distraction for Kenny to follow through. He narrows his eyes at Pip and hates everything that the baby has done to his Brit. There is no joy in those eyes that he loved. The smile on his face is full of malice, so unlike those that used to light up the darkest room. He hates the baby for wearing Pip's skin like a costume to be toyed with. He hates him. He hates him. He hates him so fucking much! Most of all he hates how powerless he feels not being able to fix the situation.

"Why are you doing this to Pip?" Damien is loud enough that he's sure his neighbors will come knocking in a bit. He steps forward and shields Kenny out of sight. "I'm the one you want, right? Leave Pip out of this!"

"It's not that simple, Father. Besides, I've taken quite a liking to Papa Pip's body. It fits me so terribly well, don't you agree?"

"If you want the anti-Christ title, fine, I don't give a fuck. Take it. It's yours!" Damien says. Behind him, Kenny takes a step forward, closing the distance between him and Pip. "Just give me back Pip."

"I don't want the anti-Christ title." Pip gives a slight shake of his head.

"Then what the fuck do you want?" Damien can hear Kenny unplugging the holy water.

"Oh Father, I've ever only wanted to be a good boy," Pip says.

Everything happens so quickly. On the same second, Kenny is running toward Pip and trying to splash him with the holy water and Pip is lifting his finger and pointing at Kenny. Damien knows what is going to happen before it even happens but he can do nothing as the sound of Kenny's neck breaking and Pip screaming in pain shoot through the room. He watches Kenny's head spin almost a 180 degree, his body following through with the motion, before Kenny falls to the floor with an unceremonious thud. At the same time Pip collapses on the bed, writhing in pain as his skin burns in loud hisses. It's over as quickly as it happened. Silence takes over the room, leaving only Damien behind.

Damien can't make a sound. His heart jumps into his throat and his lungs refuse to work properly. He stares at Kenny's lifeless body and does everything he can to stop the rush of nausea and guilt from taking over his senses. He bites his teeth so hard into his lips that he draws blood. He kneels down next to Kenny. His heart sears from the unnatural angle that Kenny's head faces with his eyes still wide open.

"Kenny, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry…"

He forces his legs to move and wobbles over to the bed. He looks down Pip lying equally still and barely breathing. Pip's body and the sheets are soaked in sweat. Blood seeps out of his nostrils. Damien runs a hand through Pip's hair and shudders at how awfully cold the Brit feels under his fingers.

"Pip? Can you hear me? Please… answer me. Pip…"

The only sound that responds to him is the doorbell ringing. It must be the neighbors checking in on them after that unholy ruckus. Damien doesn't move from where he's standing. He doesn't go to answer the door or pick Kenny off from the ground. He sinks into the bed by Pip's side and drives his palms into his face. His throat hardens. His eyes burn with a need he's never felt before.

For the first time in his life, Damien lets himself cry out loud.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

_Boyue's Note: Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome! Sorry I couldn't write Butters that well…_

_11.03.12_

_9:56 PM_


	12. The Last Resort

_Boyue's Note: Sorry for the wait. Here's the new chapter! With some cameos from some of my favorite characters~_

* * *

**MATERNAL HEART**

**"THE THIRD TRIMESTER…**

**The Last Resort…"**

* * *

Damien doesn't go to Kenny's funeral. He doesn't bring flowers to Kenny's grave. He doesn't say nice things about Kenny like Kyle and Stan do. He doesn't cry like Butters does. He doesn't call Kenny a "fuckass white trash piece of shit" like Cartman does. He doesn't say he is not okay when Pip asks him about Kenny. He's done a great job suppressing the guilt he felt about getting Kenny killed. What he holds in his heart is hope – hope that Kenny will come back soon. Most people don't know that Kenny can come back from the dead. Most people don't even remember that Kenny actually died. Every time he comes back, it's like a glitch in the Matrix and everything resets and no one remembers the pain of losing Kenny. It used to piss Damien off that no one remembers losing Kenny. Right now though, that weird glitch is the only thing keeping his head up.

But the problem is – of fucking course – Kenny hasn't come back.

Damien breaks into Kenny's trailer with a rock. The door handle is worn enough that it only takes a few knocks before the whole thing comes flying off. It would've been easier if he'd bother to ask Kenny for a key prior but it's just one of those many things that slip his mind. The trailer is freezing and smells like expired milk and rotten garbage. He guesses the McCormicks haven't had the chance to gather Kenny's belongings. That, or maybe they just don't care enough to actually do it. Damien is thankful for that at the moment since he can look around Kenny's things without any disturbance. If he's being completely honest with himself, the reason he's here is because he misses Kenny so fucking much and is afraid that this is really it. He's afraid that the glitch has been fixed, and Kenny is never coming back again. He wouldn't feel so bad if he can just go to Hell, but seeing as how he's still powerless, he feels so utterly lost.

The bed is unmade, and Damien can almost still see the indent from the curve of Kenny's body. He wonders if the sheets are still choked with Kenny's scent but decides that he isn't going to be that guy from Brokeback Mountain who goes smelling his boyfriend's jacket. Kenny's parka probably smells like crap and sweat and blood anyway. It's from pure impulse to do something for Kenny that Damien starts to make the bed. He can't remember the last time he's made a bed since he has Pip to do that for him. He pulls the sheets off the bed and frowns at the speckled bloodstain on them. He knows instantly the blood is from when he punched Kenny in the face. That feels like such a long time ago. He bunches up the sheets and wonders if Kenny has a washer so he can wash them and what else he can do to clean up the place for when Kenny comes back from the dead. With the sheets gone, he spots a notebook on the bed, half buried beneath the pillow. He puts the sheets on the table and picks up the notebook. A part of him wonders if it's Kenny's diary – even though Kenny doesn't strike him as the type that writes diary. A part of him says to represent Kenny's privacy and not look through the notebook, but a larger part of him is saying fuck it.

His eyes go wide as he flips through the pages of the notebook. His chest tightens. A feeling he has no word for coils up his spine from the pit of his stomach. The notebook contains all of Kenny's research on demonology and demonic possession. He has no idea that Kenny's been doing so much research on his behalf, writing so many insightful notes that stuns Damien's mind. It's not so much the information Kenny has collected that amazes Damien, but the mere fact that Kenny has been so devoted with helping him out and he's never gotten the chance to thank him for it. What has he ever fucking done to deserve a friend like Kenny? He blows through the pages quickly, skimming over what Kenny has found out, until he reaches the latest page. The date marked on the page is the day that Kenny died. On the header, Kenny has written the words "the last resort" and underlined it. Beneath that, taking up the whole pages, two things are written: a location and a person's name.

Damien rips the page out of the notebook and tucks it into his pocket. He has a phone call to make.

* * *

The campus coffee house is surprisingly sparse with students. It's usually packed to the brim with people leeching the campus's free wifi. Today, there are only a few lingering by the bar tables with headphones glued to their ears and a very disgruntle look on all of their faces. Damien breaks into a little grin when he figures out the reason why the place is empty. He walks toward the source near the back of the coffee house. Along the way, he passes a stoic Craig Tucker sitting alone with a mug of untouched coffee, staring directly in front of him. He doesn't need to look to know that Craig's watching a very twitching Tweek who's having some sort of panic attack and is pretty much smothering himself with his apron.

Damien pulls out a chair and takes a seat at the last table. He leans back into it and feels oddly intimidated by his current position. A rare occasion, of course. Damien doesn't like to think that he can get intimidated by anything or anyone.

"You know it's illegal to smoke indoor, right?" Damien asks, lifting a hand to wave away the cloud of smoke hanging around him.

"Are you here to talk business or waste my time?"

Damien scoffs. He meets Christophe's eyes and feels the intimation radiating from those hard, world-weary eyes. Christophe's accent isn't as prominent as it used to be, but there is still a faint trace of foreign danger on his tongue. Cigarette smoke escapes between the chapped lips as Christophe's stare continues to remain unwavering. Once again, if Damien's heart doesn't completely belong to Pip, he's sure he would've liked to take a stab at Christophe.

"Just trying to be a good citizen," Damien says. He reaches into his pocket and takes out the torn page from Kenny's notebook. He passes it over to Christophe. "Here's the address. Bring me back what's there."

Christophe picks up the slip of paper and studies it briefly. He takes out his matchbook and strikes a match. Damien leans back as the piece of paper burns, and Christophe leaves the ashes scattered on the table. Clouds of different smokes dance and blend together. Somewhere behind them, Tweek screams in panic and tries to find the fire extinguisher.

"I hope that means you'll take the job," Damien says, dusting away some ashes that are flowing toward his direction.

"Give me a week."

"I don't have a week," Damien says. "You have three days."

Christophe doesn't make eye contact as he snuffs out his dying cigarette and lights up a new one. "One week. Take it or leave it."

"You have three fucking days to get me what I want," Damien hisses. Oh, if only he has his powers right now. He'd wipe that smug smirk off Christophe's face so fast.

"Listen, my friend," Christophe says as he leans dangerously close that Damien can't smell anything but cigarette smoke, "I'm here as a favor to Kenny. I do not owe you anything. You do not get to tell me what to do because if you try, I will disembowel you with my bare hands and feed you your intestines. Do we have a fucking understanding?"

If Christophe wants to go, Damien will fucking go. Until otherwise announced, he's still the fucking anti-Christ, and he'll be fucked in the ass by Mitt Romney before he lets a French piece of shit threatens him. He leans forward as well, eyes growing hard and bearing his teeth like a feral dog as he speaks.

"And you listen, my friend, I don't have to tell you who I am but I will tell you that if you don't do what I say, I'll make the rest of your life a living hell for all of eternity and it's nothing like you can ever imagine. Eating your own intestines will feel like a fucking picnic compared to what I'll have in store for you. Do we have a fucking understanding?"

Christophe just grins and says, "You have no idea what I've been through."

"And you have no idea what I'm capable of," Damien replies. "Three days, Christophe."

Damien leans back into his chair and watches the flickers in Christophe's eyes, highlighted by bags that stem from the blood on his hands. He doesn't deny for a second that Christophe has been through a ton of shit that most people his age doesn't go through, but it doesn't mean he gets to go around acting like he's some sort of hardcore Rambo badass. Christophe snuffs out the newly lit cigarette on the table, and Tweek makes a noise that sounds like a dying whale.

"Meet me at Stark's Pond in three days," Christophe says. "Seven o'clock. Do not be late."

Damien relaxes and feels a weight off his shoulders. He almost smiles but he does have to keep up the appearance that he's the most hardcore fucker in South Park. He presses his lips together in a resemblance of gratitude and watches Christophe get out of the chair. As Christophe makes his leave, Damien turns around and calls out after him.

"What did Kenny do for you?" Damien asks, never knowing what Christophe meant when he said that he's here as a favor to Kenny.

"He cleaned up a mess I made," Christophe answers.

"Yeah, he has a habit of doing that," Damien says and lets the faintest of smile touch his lips.

He watches Christophe walk by a very terrified Tweek and leaves the coffee house. He lingers in his chair a while longer and stares at the ashen note on the table and the mark left by the cigarette burn. He has faith that Christophe will finish the mission with no problem and he has faith that whatever it is in that place that Kenny marked down, that thing will be able to help him save Pip. Kenny has never let him astray before and now even though he's gone, he's still helping him along. Damien puts his head down for a moment and listens to the mouse-like steps coming toward his direction. He looks up and gives Tweek the friendliest smile he can conjure up as he watches the nervous blond tries to scrub out the cigarette burn on the table.

"GAH, THE TABLE. MY BOSS IS GOING TO, GAH, I'M GOING TO GET FIRED AND I'LL END UP ON THE STREET GIVING HANDJOBS FOR CRACK."

Damien sighs and once again finds himself giving into blonds. Seriously, what is it about blonds that make his heart melt? If he had his powers, he could've helped erase the damage Christophe did. But since he's without powers, he does the next best thing. He picks up the condiment caddy and moves it over until it covers up the cigarette burn mark. So it isn't a genius plan or a permanent solution, but he does feel better knowing that he's trying to do something to make Tweek feel better.

"There. Now, no one will know," Damien says.

"GAH, BUT, THERE ARE CAMERAS WATCHING." Tweek says, biting his fingers so hard that the skin turns white.

He can see the panic rushing back to take over Tweek. As Tweek begins to sputter like a backfired engine, Damien tries to come up with something that will help calm him down again. He looks around until he sees Craig giving him the deadliest glare he has ever seen in his life. He looks back at Tweek. Maybe he really thinks he's helping or maybe he's just falling back into mischievous ways, but he smiles at Tweek and says something that he has no idea will have such effect on Tweek.

"Hey, by the way, Craig's totally in love with you. I just thought you should know."

He winces as Tweek faints and hits his head against the table. Well… that definitely could've gone better.

* * *

Damien finally knows what a heart attack feels like. He takes unsteady steps toward the living room. His lungs refuse to draw in air. All he can feel is a rage and a numbness that spread to every inch of his body. If he can drop dead right now, he just might. Pip and Pocket are sitting sit by sit on the couch, each with a cup of tea in their hand. Pocket is the one who notices Damien first and offers up one of those fake polite smiles that makes Damien wants to punch his bucked tooth off. Pip puts down his own cup of tea and tries to stand when he sees Damien.

"Oh, hello, dear, welcome home," Pip greets. He gives up his attempt to stand up when Damien waves him down with a flick of his wrist. "I'm sure you remember Pocket, my friend from back home?"

"Oh, yeah, I remember," Damien says bitterly.

"Hullo, Damien, ol' chap. Awful nice to see you again," Pocket says.

Damien doesn't greet Pocket with anything other than a hostile glance. He alternates his eyes between Pip, Pocket, and Pip's very pregnant belly. He swallows the scream in his throat and tries to remain as calm as possible.

"Damien," Pip jumps in first, "I know what you're thinking and I'm terribly sorry for not consulting you first but-"

"But you just thought it'd be okay to let someone know that you're demonically pregnant?"

"Please, Damien, I have no ill-will toward you or Pip and I'm ever so happy for you two! A child is such a blessing!"

"Shut up," Damien says, pointing a threatening finger at Pocket, "no one's talking to you. Don't think I forgot that you called the cops on us and got my friend's head bashed in."

"Pocket was only trying to help!" Pip says. He dips his head low and mutters, "And Kenny wouldn't have gotten injured if he hadn't been where he didn't belong."

"Kenny was the only thing that stopped the cops from busting into your room and finding out about you," Damien raises his voice. "But I guess it doesn't fucking matter anymore what Kenny did because he's dead and now this little shit is going to tell the whole world that you're fucking pregnant."

"Damien, please!" Pip says. He puts his hand over his belly and says, "I don't want the baby hearing you use that kind of language."

"I understand your upset," Pocket says, setting down his cup of tea. "But I assure you-"

"Which fucking part of 'no one's talking to you' you don't fucking understand?" Damien shouts. "Get the fuck out of my house."

"That's awful," Pip says. He makes an effort to stand and finally does with Pocket's help. He narrows his eyes at Damien and says, "You're being unreasonably rude. Pocket's a friend of mine and I won't let you treat him with such manner."

"Kenny was a fucking friend of mine and you didn't even let me talk to him. You're always saying shit about how we need to respect each other's feelings, right? Well, my feeling is that I want this fucker out of my house."

"Oh my," Pocket mumbles. He takes a few steps away from Pip. "Perhaps I should go."

"Yeah, you really should," Damien says.

"No! Pocket, stay!" Pip shouts. The cup of tea on the table moves a little. "Damien, I want you to apologize to Pocket for your behavior."

"Oh, that's not necessary," Pocket says.

"Apologize for what?" Damien narrows his eyes and fists his hands. "He should be happy that I haven't bashed his tooth in."

"I'm ever so sorry for intruding." Pocket side-steps around the coffee table and stands behind the couch. "I'll just gather my things and…"

"What things?" Damien asks.

"No, Pocket, please. Damien is just being unreasonable. Please don't go."

"Pip, did you ask him to stay with us? Without asking me first?"

"I asked him to keep me company because you're never here," Pip says. He lowers his head for a moment before he gives Damien a determined stare. "If you're going to spend your time with someone else, I ought to have the same privilege."

"What. The. Fuck." Damien feels like his head is going to explode.

"You were always out with Kenny," Pip says. "Don't think I don't know because I don't leave the house. I know, Damien. I thought after Kenny's gone, you'd be different but you're still never home. Sometimes… I wonder if you still love me anymore."

"You're fucking crazy, do you know that?" Damien throws his hands up in the air. "If I don't love you, I wouldn't even be here right now! All of this shit happens because I love you. I love you, you stupid fuck. I love you!"

Pip dips his head low and Damien doesn't need to see it to know that he's crying. Pocket shuffles uncomfortably in place, adjusting his red vest that doesn't need adjusting. Damien steps backward, feeling a weakness in his knees and in his heart. He's tired, he's been through too much, he's lost too many, and he can't deal with it anymore. He just can't. He backs away until he's at the door, his hand reaching out to turn the knob. It'll be so easy to walk away, and he's going to do just that.

"Damien!" Pip calls out, his voice quivering and his cheeks moist with tears. "I'm awfully sorry. I-I haven't meant to…"

"It's fine," Damien just mumbles, waving a nonchalant hand. "It's fine."

Damien turns the knob and steps out into the street. He ignores Pip's voice calling after him and pretends he doesn't see Pip waddling over to him.

"Damien, please, wait!" Pocket jogs up next to him and grabs him by the shoulder. He withdraws quickly when he has Damien's attention. "I'm ever so sorry. I assure you this is not at all what I intended."

Damien brings his hand up and Pocket flinches. Instead of a punch, Damien pats Pocket on the shoulder and looks back to the apartment door, where Pip stands watching. He can go back inside and make up with Pip. He can tolerate Pocket because Pip needs him. He can pretend. He can be a good fiancé. He can be everything Pip wants him to be. But he isn't going to do any of those things.

"Are you really leaving?" Pocket asks.

"Take care of him," Damien says.

Pocket sighs out of his nose and nods. "I most definitely will."

Damien takes his hand off Pocket's shoulder and lets it dangle by his side. He can hear the gasp out of Pip's mouth as he turns around and starts to walk away.

* * *

Three days feel like a fucking eternity for Damien. Crashing at Kenny's trailer is out of the question because Pip knows where it is and quite frankly, Damien really doesn't want to be found. He's lucky enough to charm his way into crashing with Butters though he really can't stand the Stotches, who are convinced that he's a Mormon for some reason. He doesn't even bother trying to correct them and just let them be. Of course he is super worried about Pip and if he and the baby are okay. But there is a sick bliss in the ignorance of not knowing. Maybe he's just lying to himself after all. Maybe Pip's right. Maybe he really doesn't love Pip anymore. After all if he does, how could it have been so easy for him to walk away and not look back? Not only is he a shitty friend, he's also a shitty fiancé and shitty person in general. Maybe he's only fooling himself thinking that he belongs on earth with human and can try to live a human life. Maybe he's made of nothing but evil and vice.

The heavy footsteps on snow snap him out of his thoughts. He looks up and the first thing he sees is the puff of cigarette smoke dangling in the winter air over the canvas of early morning. He stands up and walks toward Christophe, who somehow can survive in this temperature with only an olive turtleneck. Christophe drops his cigarette on the ground and its heat melt a little hole in the snow.

"Did you find it?" Damien asks.

Christophe doesn't give a verbal reply, which doesn't surprise Damien. He takes off his travel bag and unzips it. Damien waits with baited breath and wide eyes as he watches Christophe take out something slender wrapped in a dirty cloth. Christophe lets his bag drop on the ground to free his hand to remove the cloth.

"Holy fuck," Damien mumbles so quietly he's not sure he even hears himself speak. "Is that what I think it is…?"

"You don't even know what you're looking for?" Christophe asks with a cocked eyebrow.

Damien draws in a huge breath of air and stares at the dagger in Christophe's hand. The dagger looks like a prop out of a movie. Its blade is shining silver with speckle of dirt still on it. It looks simultaneously ageless and old as fuck. Christophe uses the cloth to clean the dirt off while Damien keeps staring at it like a kid at a candy store. Christophe turns it over a few times and examines the blade before he drops the cloth and holds the dagger by its handle instead.

"What is it?" Christophe asks, tracing a finger over the hilt.

"A weapon," Damien answers, his hands trembling a bit.

Christophe scoffs and gives a tired glare. "No fucking shit. What does it do?"

"If it's the real thing…" Damien says with a nervous smile. He doesn't finish the sentence. Christophe doesn't need to know that if it's the real thing, it's the only thing on earth that can kill the anti-Christ. Like actually kill. Like _K.O., Fatality, Finish Him_ kill the anti-Christ. He'd thought it was only a legend, some cheap trick that his dad used to tell him to scare him into behaving. But seeing it in front of him and knowing that Kenny has found the damn thing, holy fuck. No wonder Kenny says this is the last resort. He can use it to get rid of his damn kid once and for all.

"If it's the real thing?" Christophe asks.

"Well, you know, it can be a counterfeit. We can't be sure it's real."

Christophe turns the blade in his hand and looks it over. "I guess we'll find out if it is."

Christophe puts his hand on Damien's shoulder and pulls him closer. Damien should've seen it coming but he doesn't. Maybe he's still too stunned by everything that he doesn't know what's happening until the dagger is tearing through his abdominal flesh and a pain he has never felt before rocks through his every nerve. He hisses in air, eyes staring in Christophe's cold ones. Christophe twists the blade. Damien tastes blood.

"Shit, dude," Damien mumbles. He stares down at where the blade entered his body. "Who?"

Christophe slides the blade over. Damien screams and finally reacts by pushing Christophe back. Christophe stumbles backward even though they both know that Damien's push hasn't been strong enough to do that. Damien presses his hand over his gaping wound and winces at the pain. Christophe walks forward, the blade dripping in Damien's blood.

"Tell me who," Damien says.

"I can't," Christophe answers. "That's confidential."

Damien folds over a little and keeps his hand pressed to his wound, wincing and hissing all the while. He drops to the ground and breathes hard out of his mouth. He has never felt physical pain of this magnitude before. The worst pain he'd ever suffered prior to this is a paper cut and that had hurt like a bitch. He bites his lip, somehow thinking that that will help ease the pain. Christophe stands next to him, his hand gripping the blade. Damien looks up and takes in a deep breath. Well, this is going to hurt a fucking lot.

"Bon voyage, my friend," Christophe says. "See you in Hell."

Damien screams at the blade go through his heart. He falls back as Christophe pulls the blade out. He hits the snow with a soft thud and feels it giving in beneath his weight and body heat. He flutters his eyelids a few times and swears he can hear Pip's voice in his head. There is the heavy taste of copper on his tongue. He can see the sun creeping out from behind the horizon and in the distance, birds are starting to sing.

Then a calming darkness takes over and everything goes black.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

_Boyue's Note: I really rushed through this chapter! I'm sorry! I hope you lovely readers are enjoying where this is going!_

_11.18.12_

_6:16 PM_


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